Who Thought Paint Could Save Them?
by edean13
Summary: Regina has always been good with spray paint. Whoever thought that talent would save her, her savior and Fairytale Land? WARNING: Content is FLUFFY!
1. Chapter 1

Emma is on her way from picking lunch up at Granny's to the Mayor's office for their monthly 'mommy calendar' creating when she begins to think about the drastic way her life has changed over the past two-ish years. She has gone from being a bale bondsperson to becoming Sherriff of this small town in Maine because her son asked her to save Fairytale Land… The kid is twelve years old now and still believes that this town is filled with fairytale characters that have forgotten their memories, and honestly the more he's talked, the more she's started to believe him.

She then starts to think about the mother of her child; the 'evil queen'. She doesn't believe that for a second… maybe two years ago she would have if she believed in the curse then, but she didn't… And now that she does, she doesn't believe that Regina is the evil queen. Maybe it is because they have been sharing a bed for the last week or so… literally just sleeping—get your minds from the gutter… Maybe it is because she thinks fondly of the mayor… oh who is she kidding? She is so fucking hopelessly devoted, she beats out Sandy to Danny in _Grease_.

Honestly, she doesn't know when she fell for her, but she can pinpoint the beginnings of the falling… About six months before, Emma finally got it through the powerful brunette's head that she isn't out to take Henry away from her, and that she just wants to know him…to know them. So, in order to prove that, she proposed to said powerful brunette and Henry that they begin having Friday night dinners out with her. From there, it's actually started to become Friday night dinners at the Mills' house and not out at one of the like four restaurants Storybrooke has to offer.

At about that time, Emma began hanging out after Henry was sent upstairs to shower and get ready for bed. She and Regina just started…_talking_. There was no bullshit, no lies, no deception. They started holding actual conversation, they bantered, and Emma fell fast and hard.

As she enters Town Hall, she begins thinking about the week prior

… _It had been her 30__th__ birthday; it also happened to have been Friday. She called and cancelled because Mary Margaret and Ruby and Ashley wanted to take her out… and she can't say no to Mary Margaret's puppy eyes. She had told Regina that they could do Saturday, but Regina reminded her of the plethora of meetings he had on Saturdays. _

_She was sitting in the booth with Ashley and Mary Margaret. Ruby was making her way back with their third round when her phone buzzed. Please God let it be Regina. It's not like she wasn't having a good time, she was, she just… Liked being with Regina and Henry on Friday nights…she felt like it was family night. She took the shot that Ruby gave her then pulled her phone out._

'_If you're not too drunk, maybe you could come over when you're finished with your birthday party. I actually have a present for you.'_

_It was from Regina. She smiled then stood up, "Well, ladies… It's been a pleasure, but I think I'm gonna head out."_

"_Emma!" All three of them said together…more like whined together._

_All Emma did was shrug, "I'm just… I'm not feeling it tonight, guys…" And with another shrug she was off to Madame Mayor's house._

"_Hey." Emma said into the phone as she rounded the street that would lead her to the mansion._

"_Sherriff Swan…why are you panting?"_

"_I walked from the bar…It's a long way…"_

"_It's not that long a walk, Sherriff…"_

"_Alright. Alright, fine… I've been playing hopscotch for like a block and a half… I'm a little tipsy, but not too drunk for a birthday present!" She said excitedly._

"_Wow, you really are tipsy. You would not show that much excitement to me."_

"_Hey, hey… I show this much excitement every time you make roast and potatoes and carrots…"_

_Emma heard the sweet sound of Regina's quiet, genuine laugh, "Alright, Sherriff. The door is open."_

_Emma walked into the house and found Regina at the coffee machine, "Trying to sober me up?"_

"_Always." Regina turned around with a grin, "I need you coherent if I'm going to speak with you."_

"_I'm coherent enough…" Emma looked to the side then back to her, "Depending on the topic. Is it Henry?" She asked concerned._

_Regina swallowed hard—for some reason she was overly emotional, which was something she was still getting used to since she'd found her heart again, which was all thanks to the blonde before her. She shook her head and smiled at Emma's genuine concern, "No. Henry is fine."_

_Emma's eyes scrunched together, "Alright… then what are we gonna chat about?"_

"_Chat?"_

"_See, I'm coherent enough to make fun of words you'd use everyday by using them to freak you out." She grinned and winked._

_Regina set the coffee in front of Emma, "Just as you like."_

"_Thank you." Emma took the cup and began drinking._

_Regina looked at her, then away again. She stood up and walked to get her present, then changed her mind and walked back to sit with the blonde._

_Emma stared at her, half the coffee gone—mainly so Regina would know she would remember the conversation in the morning—she knit her brows before raising one, "You okay?"_

"_Yes. I just… do you want your present now, or later?"_

_Emma pretended to think about it for a second, "I think now's good."_

"_Alright." She gave Emma a grin and went to get her the present._

_Emma decided to wash out her cup for her as she waited, "My, my Sherriff, I do believe you've made yourself at home here."_

_Emma turned around with a smirk, "You mind?" She asked…she didn't realize how serious her tone was until it escaped her._

_Regina bit her lip then shook her head, "No."_

"_Progress." Emma mumbled to herself before eyeing the wrapped present behind Regina, "That for me?"_

_Regina nodded and handed it over. She was so damn nervous…Emma could see it by the way Regina's hand shook as she handed the 12X17" package to her. Emma took it and ripped the perfect wrapping apart. There before her was a painting of a half black, half white swan gliding in water. The eyes of the swan were rather intense…much like the woman watching her take in the present. Emma knew that this was Regina's way of telling her how she felt. She didn't know why she knew, but she knew that's what this was. She knew that this swan was a representation of the two of them. She touched the swan's head and traced down its neck with her fingers, then hugged the painting close to her._

"_This is lovely." Emma said._

"_You really think that?" Regina asked then swallowed another lump that gathered due to the emotions that this…frustrating woman made her feel._

_Emma looked up to her. She saw the floodgates open through Regina's eyes and she rounded the kitchen island to the brunette. She set the painting down. She cocked her head and waited for the brunette to look at her again, and when she finally did, Emma pulled her in and hugged her._

"_Yeah," Emma whispered into Regina's ear, "It's beautiful."_

_Regina pulled from Emma and saw the look in her eyes; she knew that Emma knew what it was supposed to be. She inhaled a surprisingly shaky breath. She cleared her throat and took Emma's hand, "Would you like to stay the night?... With me?"_

_Emma's voice got caught in her throat; she was absolutely stunned. She nodded and breathed out, "Yeah, uhhhh, yeah. That would be nice."_

_Regina nodded, smiling and grabbed the painting before leading her up the stairs to her room._

_After they entered, Regina went to the closet. She began changing, so her voice was a little muffled to Emma, "I don't know what you like to sleep in, Emma, but I have sleepwear if you'd like to borrow…"_

"_Nah…" Emma started, then thought better, "I mean, if you don't mind…I sleep in my skivvies."_

_Regina walked out and gave her a look, "Your skivvies?"_

_Emma grinned at her, "I'd say someone is not very ecstatic about my word choice tonight…"_

_Regina closed her eyes and shook her head smiling, "No, 'skivvies' is just… Haven't heard it in a while…"_

"_Well, if it makes you feel better, I got it from Tony Danza." Regina gave her a look that told her to explain, "Growing up in the foster system, there wasn't a lot to look forward to…but somehow I did get to watch Who's the Boss? late at night, and there's this episode and he calls underwear skivvies… Always thought it was funny; sometimes it slips out." Regina gave her almost a pained look. Emma knew that Regina would probably shut down if she asked, so she snap her fingers then threw a fist into her palm, "So… is it alright that I sleep in my skivvies?"_

"_Yes Dear, it's fine." Regina walked around to the side of the bed she slept on and sat down. She heard the distinct sound of a fly being unzipped. Her breath caught in her throat and she stayed facing away from Emma. She reached out and pumped a couple dollops of lotion into her hands then spread it over her arms. She felt the bed dip, then felt dips move closer and closer to her._

_Emma leaned over and whispered into Regina's ear, "Is that why you always smell of apples?" Regina grinned and leaned into the blonde as she wrapped her arms around her, "Hmm?"_

"_I guess you'll just have to find out…" Regina smirked as she looked up to see bright green-grey orbs looking back at her._

_They stared into each other's eyes and Emma decided to take the plunge. She leaned in and pressed their lips together. They laid down and Emma settled herself on top of Regina, managing somehow to keep the kiss light, but still very passionate._

_She pulled away and settled next to her, "This is real, isn't it?"_

_Regina closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip while she put her hand over her eyes, "More real than Daniel ever was…" She barely whispered out._

"_What?" Emma cocked her head._

"_More real than anything I've ever experienced…" Regina looked over to the girl next to her._

_Emma smiled. She leaned over Regina to turn out her light for her, then settled in next to her. She held her throughout the night._

Emma sighs with a happy grin as she walks passed Mallory, the receptionist. "Hey Mallory." She says with a wave.

"Hi, Emma." Mallory has always been a bit of a flirt… this has always made Emma a bit uncomfortable.

Emma just smiles and walks into the Mayor's office without knocking. Regina is pacing back and forth from either side of her desk. She has a rubber band in hand that she is playing with. When the door opens, she flashes a glare, but softens when she sees who it is.

"Mr. Gold, my appointment just walked in. We'll discuss this further later." She picks up the phone, then replaces it in the receiver effectively ending the call.

"Everything alright?" Emma asks warily.

"Fine, Dear." Regina sits down.

Emma gives her a look that tells her she doesn't believe her. She puts the bag on the table and hands Regina her food, "I got your favorite."

"Thank you." Regina gives her a small smile of appreciation. She sits at her desk and opens up the calendar on her computer, "Shall we?"

"Yes, let's." Emma settls in the chair across from her and grabs her food.

They talk about which events either or both would attend in Henry's life that month while they ate their lunch. Regina has been staring off at the screen for a while.

"You okay?" Emma asks her.

"Our colors run together quite often… In fact, the only time our colors are separate are on the weekdays he has nothing extra and you have him for the hour or two before you take him home." She turns the computer to Emma.

The blonde looks and nods, "Hmm," she thinks a little, then looks at Regina, "Is that a problem for you? You actually getting along with your son's other mother? You actually being able to hold a real conversation with me and not bullshit or undermine me? You having a relationship with me? Being with me? Does it bother you that you trust me?"

"Does it bother you?" Regina asks her; she wants to cower in fear of the answer.

Emma looks at her straight on, "No." She shakes her head and reaches for Regina's hand.

She's actually been entertaining the idea of asking Regina out on a proper date, a date minus Henry as a buffer, a real live dinner at a restaurant, see where the night will lead date.

She is tracing Regina's hand as she thinks these things then decides to go for it. "It does bother me that we haven't gone on a date yet and I've been spending every night with you for the past week."

"It's not like anything has been going on Sherriff Swan." Regina gives her an embarrassed look, which Emma thinks is probably the cutest fucking thing she's ever seen.

"That's where you're wrong. Lots of stuff has gone on. Like our first kiss and I learned that you have nightmares…but if I hold you and whisper to you they go away. Like uh, we've…talked… meaningful, intense talks about us and our future… Henry's future. And we haven't been on a date yet… how backwards is that?"

Regina smiles and turns her hand over, "Alright, then. Take me on a date. You might get lucky." She subtly raises and lowers her eyebrows.

Emma uses her other hand to grab her heart, "Woman after my own heart."

Regina retracts a little, "Umm, so I'll see you later when you come pick me up." She walks around her desk and to the door, opening it for the blonde to leave.

Emma finds all of this behavior rather odd, and not leaving without a bit of a struggle, she picks up Regina's hand and kisses it…in front of Mallory. She winks at her then walks out of the office, "I'll see you tonight."

**AN: Alright, please let me know what you think. I have big plans for this one!**


	2. Chapter 2

Emma steps up to the door of the mansion. She looks down at herself, _Well, like Mia Thermopolis, this is as good as it's gonna get…_ She thinks as she stares at her attire. She only has so much, and Regina's seen it all. She's wearing her classic skinny jeans, but she's decided to shake up the leather jacket with a boyfriend jacket, and she is of course wearing her tank top… the lucky one. She takes a breath and knocks on the door.

Henry opens it and looks oddly at Emma, "Uhh, mom hasn't even started dinner yet. She just came home and disappeared…"

Emma gives him an odd look right back, "Did she tell you anything about tonight?"

"No, she was humming and in a daze…like I think she was high."

"Kid, do you even know what that means?" Emma tries not to laugh of the visual in her head of Regina eating a pot brownie and dancing around.

"Yeah…? You taught me… Remember last year when you came to the school to teach D. A. R. E.?" Henry is still looking at her like there's something off with her too.

"Right!" Emma realizes he in fact does know, "Well… I don't know how to tell you this, kid, but your mom's not high. I think she's happy." She gives him a concerned look, "Is that okay with you?"

Henry expression completely changes; he nods vigorously, "Yes!...Why wouldn't it be okay?"

"Because kid… I'm the one making her happy." She is a little proud of herself for this.

Henry rolls his eyes, "I know, you're not exactly subtle.."

Emma raises her brows, "Is that right?"

"Well, there's been two coffee mugs in the sink in the morning when I've come down for breakfast this last week."

_Why does that sound familiar?_ Emma thinks as Henry continues.

"You park right outside my window when you come to see her at night. And when you guys first met you went at each other's throats… Now you look at each other like Mary Margaret and David." He pulls her closer, "I don't know what your plan is, but this has to be good for Operation Cobra."

Emma opens her mouth to say something, but can't. She shakes her head, "Where's your mother again?" She asks as she steps inside the mansion.

Henry gestures for her to follow, "She's in her shed."

"Her shed? What the hell is her shed? Where the hell is her shed? Why the hell's she got a shed?" Emma asks him as he leads her through the kitchen to the back door.

Henry stops and turns around to Emma. He gives her a 'doy!' look, "I'm 12. She's private. It's locked when she's not in there and she's blacked out all the windows…"

Emma returns the 'doy!' look, "You've never gone down there with her?"

"She's never asked and I'm not sure I want to know what's on the other side…"

"Henry." Emma scolds him, "Your mother is not…" She sighs, "Alright. Even if she were the evil queen, do you really think that she would keep anything scary or incriminating so close to home?"

Henry thinks about it for a moment, "I guess you're right…" he's a bit sheepish and apologetic. "She smells of paint when she comes back from there… that's all I can tell you about the shed."

"You can't tell me where it is?" Emma asks him.

"Just go passed the fifth apple tree. It's hidden in the woods just a few feet in. You can't see it from here, but you will when you get closer." Henry instructs his blonde mother.

"You're not going to find out with me?" Emma turns as she starts heading down the lawn.

"You go ahead." Henry waves her on and shuts the door.

Henry is right; as soon as Emma gets close to the shed she can smell the paint. She also hears this weird sort of whirring noise. She tries to prepare herself for the most random thing before she enters, but this doesn't work because nothing could have prepared her for what she sees when she shoves the shed door to the side.

Regina jumps and turns around. She's wearing a spray paint fume mask and dirty blue coveralls. Emma can still see the wide brown cow eyes of one Regina Mills over the top of the mask. She grins slightly at the brunette then leans to the side a bit.

She takes in the 48X144" canvas behind Regina and gasps, "Holy shit! Is that me?" Emma's eyes were wide now.

Regina turns around then back to her. She embarrassingly takes her mask off and walks over to her, "What are you doing here?"

Emma can't help but move closer to the painting. She glances at the sewn in name of the coveralls Regina's wearing, "Well, Earl…"

Regina knits her brows, then looks down and rolls her eyes, "Oh geez…" she sighs a mumble under her breath.

Emma looks at her pointedly and crosses her arms, "I was picking you up for our first official date, which you haven't even told your son about."

"Our son.."

Emma turns around quickly, hair flipping better than Cameron Diaz's in Charlie's Angels. She smiles and cocks her head to the side, "Did you just hear what you said?"

Regina nods, "Yes, Sherriff I did."

Emma is already turned back around to the painting, "I look like such a badass. I got a sword and everything."

The blonde cocks her head again as she takes in the painting. She has the same epic hair she's always had, but she looks completely medieval chic. She still has pauldrons and vambraces, but the rest of her is covered in leather…or she supposes it is… it is a bit of a trademark for her, which she ironically isn't wearing at the moment. She has a scratch on her face and she was defending something in her arms. The blade of the sword she holds, and the way she is holding it told her that.

She turns to Regina, "What's going to go there?" She points to the blank space that Regina hasn't begun yet.

"You'll just have to wait and see." Regina bites her bottom lip and winks at Emma.

Emma hmphs, "Well, how come you didn't tell me about this?" She waves her hand about. "How come you haven't told me you could paint?" Realization comes over the blonde's face, "You painted that swan didn't you?" Regina looks down and Emma walks over to her. She takes Regina's face in her hands and kisses her, "You are fucking amazing, you know that?"

Regina reverts from the sentimental moment, "You're not the first person to tell me that… You are the first to tell me that without having fucked me yet…"

Emma's jaw drops then she grins wide, "Woman after my own heart."

"No. Please… don't say that. I'm not after it. I don't have to have it. I don't want it." Regina looks at her and Emma looks hurt, "NO! I mean…I do. I just… I don't want it the way that statement implies unless you _want_ to give it to me…"

Emma nods. She takes a step closer, "I want to give it to you." She kisses Regina hard once more, "Let's go on our date so that we can come back from our date… so that we can…see how right that statement I made earlier is…" Emma raises and lowers her brows a couple times.

Regina smirks, "Alright. I just need to change."

**AN: Alrighty…first off, you guys are awesome! Thanks so much for reviewing! Now, I hope you all liked that chapter! Let me know!**


	3. Chapter 3

"Let's go on our date so that we can come back from our date… so that we can…see how right that statement I made earlier is…" Emma raises and lowers her brows a couple times.

Regina smirks, "Alright. I just need to change."

The brunette takes off the coveralls revealing a camisol and soffee shorts.

Emma's knees weakened, "What are you doing to me, woman?" She asks as she walks behind her and squeezes Regina's ass.

Regina slaps her hand away, "No free touching." She has a serious tone, "No touching my tushy at all if you keep playing your cards like that."

"Tushy?" Emma is grinning ear to ear. _She can say tushy and I can't say skivvies?_

She gives the blonde a warning look, knowing what she is thinking, "I'm going to go get cleaned up. Give me fifteen minutes."

Emma now gives Regina a warning look of her own, "You were supposed to be ready fifteen minutes ago…"

"Yes, well. I lose track of time sometimes when I come to paint. I'm sorry dear." Regina cocks her head a little to the side and waits for Emma's next move.

At the head cock Emma is powerless. She purses her lips, then a smile graces her face once more, "That's all I needed to hear. Go on." Emma shoos the brunette from her own shed and pulls the door closed, "Do you want me to lock it?" She calls after her girlfriend…_girlfriend?_

"Yes Dear!" Regina calls over her shoulder.

Emma walks into the kitchen to find Henry pouring some noodles from a certain type of blue box into a boiling pot, "Oh man, I used to love mac' n cheese and cut up hot dogs…" She says nostalgic.

Henry turns and looks at her, "Really?"

"Yeah… I mean… it was considered a delicacy in the places I grew up…" She shrugs and looks away, "You should try it. You have any hot dogs?"

Henry nods and points to the fridge. He turns back to his pot and stirs his shell noodles. Emma opens the fridge and sees just what she thought she'd find… OCD to the max. There are places for everything and everything is in their specific place… with labels. She bites her lip to keep from laughing a bit and opens the meat drawer.

"I'm actually very surprised that you mom buys hot dogs… and mac' n cheese…" Emma turns around from the closing refrigerator and opens the package.

"Well, she can't cook for me every night, so sometimes she lets me make hot dogs… When I was little…" Henry starts a story but stops when Emma laughs.

Emma looks down at her little man…because she still considers him a little man, and the fact that he just said 'when I was little' was funny to her. She sees his scolding look, "I'm sorry, continue."

Henry huffs and restarts his story, "When I was a little kid… way smaller than I am now. Sherriff Graham gave me a hot dog without asking Mom first… I loved it and she was pissed—"

"Henry!" Emma knows that is the closest he has ever come to cursing before.

"What? She was… but now she buys them for me." He gives his own version of an evil grin… it scares Emma how much it looks like Regina's.

They continue to make dinner for him for the next little while when Emma hears a throat clearing… and she knows it's neither Henry nor herself. She turns around and once again her knees go weak. She tries to collect herself, but the vision before her… _I mean holy fuck!_

Regina is leaning against the doorway in one of the simplest dresses on the face of the planet, but _Dayum!_ woman can make the simplest things complex and intricate, and the most complex things so…_ just God damn_ simple. The dress is black, knee length, _form-fitting_, with a heart neckline. She also wears some of the simplest black heals and carries quite possibly the simplest black clutch as well… but that doesn't stop Emma's brain from short circuiting from the complexity of the woman before her.

"Here kid, take over." She gives Henry the sharp knife she was using, blade first and walks in a haze over to Regina.

Henry had taken the object delicately so that it wouldn't fall… and so he wouldn't get cut, "Thanks Emma." He mutters sarcastically as he sets the knife down on the counter.

"Hi..Hi..Hi, Hi…Hi." Emma says as she looks at different parts of Regina.

Regina gives her a look and shakes her head as she steps into the kitchen, leaving Emma standing there, wanting to touch the brunette. She goes and helps Henry finish cutting up his hot dogs as he is stirring, "Is this her idea?"

Henry looks up at his mother and grins in a devious, 'Why yes Mom, of course it is' kind of way.

"Oh, a cheeky grin…it is." She smiles at him then sobers into 'mom' mode, "Alright now, keep in mind, you don't need to eat the whole box… Remember what happened last time you decided to do that?" She asks in an expectant tone.

"I got sick." Henry hangs his head dejectedly.

"Yes you did." Regina kisses the top of his head—something she has started doing again recently…Henry likes it too, he told Emma that once—then Regina tousles his hair, "We'll be back after a while, so be good, okay?"

"When am I ever not?" Regina and Emma both look at their mischievous son, "I'll be good." He confirms regretfully.

"Alright kid. We're leaving." Emma says grinning at him. She grabs Regina's hand and walks them out of the door. Regina moves to drop her hand once they are outside, but Emma just squeezes it and shakes her head when Regina looks at her, "Wanna walk? It's not like everything isn't walking distance…"

All Regina can do to answer is nod.

Emma works up the nerve to wrap her arm around Regina's waist and again, Regina is reduced to one thing…all she can do is smile.

Regina is concentrating so hard on memorizing the feel of Emma's body against her own, and Emma's hand against her… _Did she just try for my ass again?_ Regina looks over at Emma who is biting her lip to keep from grinning, and giving herself away, but she's made it so obvious that Regina just shakes her head and looks down at the squares of the sidewalk.

She slowly crosses her arms and lets her hand fall so that it covers Emma's on her hip. She glances back to Emma who has let her lip go and is grinning like the fool she once believed her to be. Emma moves the fingers of her hand and threads them together with her own. She looks over and winks at Regina.

They walk a little further and Regina notices Emma taking her toward a specific door. She recognizes it as they approach the one Mexican food restaurant Storybrooke has to offer, "Oh my god, I love Mexican."

"I know…" Emma whispers in her ear as she opens the door and let's the mayor in first. "Not only do you let me hold you when you have nightmares, you tell me things. I asked you your favorite food three nights ago." She grins cheekily.

Regina drops her jaw and hits her arm and they make their way inside, "You're horrible."

"Nuh uh…I'm clever." She raises and lowers her eyebrows a couple times. Regina rolls her eyes and walks passed her.

Emma didn't even need to tell the hostess that she had a reservation; they were brought to a rather private table and seated without a word. The waitress took their drink orders and walked away.

"Wow…" Emma says, "They have good service…"

"They like to treat me with respect, Emma… I am the mayor."

"Ohhhhhhhh, right. This happens every time you come here…" Emma slumps forward a little bit, "Made a reservation and everything." She mutters as she brings her arms up to rest her head between her hands.

"Well that was very kind…" Regina tries to help as she slides her hand across the table into Emma's view.

Emma stares at it a moment then lets her head fall down between her hands and kisses it before moving her elbows from the table so she can take the hand in hers then she kisses it once more.

They hold long stares and have pleasant conversation as they eat, but Emma saves a particular question that has been bothering her since earlier this day to ask her for dessert.

Their sopapilla cheesecake is brought out to them and Emma tilts her head to the side. She watches as the brunette closes her eyes and moans as she pulls the fork from her lips enticingly slowly. When she opens her eyes again and finds Emma's stare, she folds her lips into her mouth to get any extra cinnamon or sugar off then looks that her quizzically, "What?" She asks the blonde.

"How come…" Emma stops and looks up, trying to see if she can rephrase it, "What is it with…" She inhales once more, "Why do you have such a problem with the phrase, 'woman after my own heart'?"

Regina is taken aback. She opens her mouth to speak, but stops short. She looks down and cuts another bite of dessert, "Now, Dear… You don't want to spoil a lovely evening with a question like that… have some of this." She offers her fork to Emma.

Emma opens her mouth to protest and question her further, but can't because of the delectable goodness that is in her mouth, "Oh wow..Oh my god.." She melts, then remembers the task at hand, "NO!" She says excitedly, "I want to know… It won't spoil the evening."

Regina gives her a sad and serious look, "Yes… It will. Please let us just continue as we are tonight… I promise I will tell you some time… besides, I've already told you..I don't like the way it sounds…"

"Regina… I don't understand that. There has to be a reason behind it… please?" She gives her the best puppy face she could muster.

Regina turns away from her and smirks a little, "Now you've gone and done the face…" She puts her hand to her forehead in shield of Emma's face, "I can't look at you right now."

"Just tell me."

"Emma… I am asking you to drop it… for tonight." She sighs and takes her hand back down then looks seriously at her, "I promise you that you will know soon… I just… I don't want to ruin tonight, or complicate it. I don't want to doom the prospect of…" Regina slowly gestures between them.

Emma sits back and gasps then gives her a curious look, "Are you going to tell me then break up with me? Am I just another fuck? Is that why you want to wait until… not tonight?"

"No Dear. If anything you would break up with me…" Regina's face is unmasked and Emma sees the sadness take over, "And I am just too selfish to not experience what tonight might bring before that happens…"

The blonde stares at her and takes her hand, "No… It wouldn't happen. I won't break up with you."

Something lit fire inside Emma and Regina's tummies after that statement. She and Regina stand up after Emma pays and the walk seems like forever to both Emma and Regina.

Emma can't help put to push the brunette against a building or two to make out with her a little bit. She hears Regina's moans and that only turns her on more. But she some how found strength to pull from her and lead her to the mansion. After the second time it happens, Emma decides to keep a safe distance from the brunette until they are at the door.

When Regina is looking for her key in her clutch, Emma shoves the brunette into the door and locks onto her neck. "Mmmm, Sherriff…" Regina moans out.

At this moment, their support is taken away and they fall into the mansion with a clumsy grace. They look up to see who could have possibly done this to find their son staring down at them, holding the door's handle with a disgusted look on his face.

"Oh my God…" Henry can't not look at them.

"Henry…?" Emma starts, trying to be calm.

"Oh you were making out…" He still looks like he might puke.

"Henry…" Regina tries for his attention now.

"Oh, it was against the door… Oh my moms were making out against the front door…" Henry starts to head upstairs, leaving the door open, "I'm just gonna go die now…"

Emma watches him go up the stairs and Regina watches Emma.

"I thought you told him we were on a date…" Regina scolds the blonde.

"I did! That doesn't mean our twelve year old son wants to see the date…" Emma gives her a sarcastic look. She stands up and pulls the brunette up as well, "Are you okay? You took most of the fall."

"I'm fine." Regina waves her off and starts upstairs.

Emma shuts the door, locks it and follows her. Regina reaches for Henry's door, but the blonde stops her, "I'll handle it…" She looks pleadingly at the brunette, "If you don't mind…"

"No, of course… When you're done, I'd like to show you something in my room…" She gives Emma a wink.

Emma pulls Regina in by her hip and gives her one last kiss before she talks to their son about the fact that they are gonna kiss… probably a lot in front of him. "I will be as quick as I possibly can." She then lets Regina go and watches the extra sway the mayor put into her steps, "Mm!" Emma bites her lip then knocks on the door.

"What?" Henry is basically dying.

Emma comes in, "Kid… you knew what this was…" She says.

"I know, but… I didn't think I'd have to see it…" He sits up and looks at his blonde mom.

She sits in his desk chair and spins around to face him, knocking into the desk slightly, waking his computer, "Henry… I'm gonna be as straight with you as I can possibly be…" _No pun… _"Your mom and I… we, umm… We like each other… A lohot!" She shakes her head at her breathiness, "I have never been so drawn to someone in my life, kid… I'm gonna say something to you, and you might not like it… Actually, I know you're not gonna to like it…" She swallows and stares at him.

"What is it?"

"I'm falling in love with your mom, kid… I'm falling hard and fast… like in all of your fairytales… it's that kind of love…" She takes him in.

Henry is very quiet. He stares at her, then behind her at his computer monitor to see his desktop background: a picture of the three of them… looking like a family. His mouth is slightly agape and he is in deep thought. He looks back to Emma after a full two minutes.

"I get it…" His eyes brighten and he smirks a little at Emma.

"You get it…?"

"The final battle that began when you chose to stay… it wasn't a real battle… it was a love battle… You and mom are supposed to be together… You don't kill the evil queen; you kill the curse! I didn't understand it at first..when I saw the coffee cups, but I get it now!"

Emma's brows shot up and she gives him a considering look, "Alright kid… I'll buy that… so… Just to sum this up: Your mom and I… we're gonna kiss whenever we damn well please, and if you're in the room, you might want to yell at us, or you know… go away." She shrugs impishly at him, "Sorry 'bout ya, but that's how it's gonna be… it's time for your mom and I to be happy for once… So, uh… no freaking out like what just went down downstairs, alright? You worried your mother…"

"Sorry…" Henry looks down. "It was just so icky… like, did you ever see any of your parents make out?"

"I can't say that I ever did, no…" She looked down and knit her brows.

"Have you ever seen Mary Margaret and David make out?" Henry looks at her as she makes a face. "Or really just anyone that you know and like make out in front you?"

Emma nods, "Alright, kid… I see your point. It was icky. But just forewarning… you will probably see a lot more icky in the future…" She laughs as he groans and she makes her way to the doorway, "Goodnight kid." She says lovingly.

"G'night Emma." He replies as she shuts the door.

Emma enters Regina's bedroom and looks up to see Regina in her reading glasses and very, very short silk robe that she hopes is covering nothing underneath. Regina is clearly enthralled with the book she is reading and didn't hear Emma enter. Emma shuts the door and locks it… just in case Henry forgets and for some unknown reason decides to come waltzing in during a not so convenient moment.

She turns around to see Regina looking over to her. She's put her bookmark in the book, "What happened? Did we traumatize him?"

"Of course we did." Emma laughs at Regina's reaction.

"What did he say?"

"He said it was icky…" She laughs again at their son's choice of words.

"Icky…?"

"Yup… I told him that that was just tough for him 'cause I was gonna kiss you anytime I damn well please…"

"Oh really?" Emma nods, "What did he say to that?"

Emma laughs, "He begrudgingly agreed to let us know he was in the room or that he'd walk away." She kisses her way up Regina's neck.

"He's scarred enough darling, don't you think we should accommodate him a little?"

"Don't you think we should have sex now?"

With that, they make their way over to the bed and spend the rest of the night…not getting very much sleep.

**AN: Alright…we are still not even close to what inspired this entire piece… we're actually just getting started, but we are getting closer! And I do apologize for not updating as quickly as I planned… I wrote the chapter right after I posted the second, and kind of forgot that I hadn't posted this one… until today, the day of Jennifer Morrison's birth… So, special Happy Birthday to one Miss Jennifer Morrison, and thanks everyone who is reading! And as always, please let me know what you think!**


	4. Chapter 4

Emma is walking passed the school to the station, but hears Henry calling after her, "Emma! Hey, Emma!"

Emma turns to him and smiles brightly, "Hey kid!" Then she gives him a look, "What are you doing outside?" She looks up and sees Mary Margaret, who was moved up to seventh grade the year before, outside with the rest of his class. She waves at her roommate then silently asks for a couple minutes with him. Mary Margaret only nods and turns back to her class.

Henry turns back to Emma from looking at his teacher as well, "Emma, I think something is wrong… I don't want you to get hurt! And I don't want Mom to either… Please…" He clearly doesn't know what he wants her to do or not do.

"Henry… I'm fine… I'm not gonna get hurt. Your mom is fine too… besides, I'm pretty sure she can handle herself, alright?" She gives him a look, telling him she's not sure what he needs from her.

"No, Emma…" he pulls her down, "I think people are going to be getting their memories back soon…" Emma knits her brows and leans closer, "And I'm sure that Mom is positive they are…" He takes a breath, "Emma, I'm worried about her!"

Emma knelt down to one knee and looked up at him, "Henry… I know you like your Mom now, but… In order for me to know the real facts... Kid, I need to know something." He nods, "Do you love your mom?" He stares at her, "Henry…"

Henry has tears in his eyes as he nods, "Yeah."

"Alright." She smiles at him, "Then… when people start getting their memories back, you and me are going to have to do our damndest to make sure that she's protected. We're all she's got. We are the only two who love her." He nods and wipes his eyes, embarrassed that he let the tears fall, "You okay?" he nods again. "Alright then, Kid. Go on back with your class." He dives in to hug her and she holds him with everything she's got. "Go, go. I'm meeting your mom at the station…"

Emma walks into the station and hears her lover's voice after she shuts the door, "Emma… Darling, lock the door."

Emma turns to see Regina sitting in a chair in one of the cells. She gives her a dirty smirk, "Well, my, my baby, I didn't know you were into role-play… I would have gotten us in on this the second night be made love…" She winks as she locks the door and starts to walk saucily over to Regina, "But honestly, honey, you couldn't come up with anything more imaginative than the 'Sherriff and the prisoner'?"

Emma looks at Regina's face and senses the seriousness of the room, "What's going on?" She sees that Regina is holding the only two sets of keys to the cells… Regina's skeleton set of keys to the town, and Emma's set. She looks down at her belt to find that sure enough, they were gone, "Regina… Why did you lock yourself in jail?"

"How long have we been together?" Regina looks up at Emma.

"Two months…"

"Remember our first date?" Regina asks her. Emma nods and grins, "Remember what you asked me during dessert and I told you that you would know soon?" Emma nods slowly, "Well, I need to tell you while it's still early in this relationship… while it's still 'soon'… and while there's still time for you to break it off."

"Regina, come on…" Emma grabs onto the bars, "Let yourself out of there and come here…"

"Emma will you sit down please?" Regina gestures to the chair she brought from the desk in the open area.

Emma turns around to see the chair, but something else catches her attention… the painting from two months ago. It's the one she had been working on the night she learned of the shed and of Regina's insane talent with spray paint. She reaches out and touches it…touches her own painted face, traces her finger over the now textured part that was a scrape on her face from something. She touches the sword that Regina painted her with defending… a baby in her arm.

"A baby?" She touches the little bundle's face with her fingers too, "That's what I was defending? That's what you were hiding from me? That night? Making me guess? It was a baby the whole time…" She begins tracing the features, not just touching.

"Yeah, well… I wasn't exactly sure myself… I was more focused on you…your face actually…" Regina cocks her head to the side and watches Emma take herself and the baby in.

Emma turns around and smirks at her, "I do have a good face…" She says cockily, playfully. Regina smiles and nods in completed unabashed agreement. Emma walks a couple feet from the painting, "What are you doin' in there?" She asks sadly.

Regina looks away, "Believe me I deserve much worse than this…" She crosses her arms, holding herself, "Everything that Henry believes is real… I shouldn't be happy. I don't deserve a happy ending." She finally brings herself to look at Emma's face, "I took over and cursed Fairytale Land because I'm a bitch of a witch with a heart full of revenge aimed primarily at your mother…" She swallows and looks away again, "I'm evil and I deserve death. I don't deserve this… I don't deserve you…" She looks up at Emma once more. "You deserve more… you deserve so much more… Henry was right all along. I'm a horrible, horrible, evil thing. Everything Henry's ever thought… that is me." She pauses for a moment, "If I could go back, I would. I would let you live happily with your parents; I wouldn't rip the hearts of people that care for me the most. I—"

"I know…" Emma says quietly, stopping Regina's apologetic, remorseful flow.

"You… what?" Regina looks at her baffled.

"I know it's real… I know Mary Margaret is my mom and David is my dad… I have his jaw, but I look like her…on a familial level." She takes a breath, "I know you'd go back and give me happiness… I know you wouldn't rip the many hearts out… I know what your nightmares are…" She looks at Regina; she stares her in the eyes, "I also know that I would never appreciate happiness if you someday find a way to go back. I know that if that happens, I'll never be truly happy 'cause I won't have you… I'll never be able to hold you and tell you that everything will be fine… I'd never have Henry…"

She rolls closer to the brunette, "See, honey, there are really, really good things about this life that you cursed us into that I wouldn't let you give up for anything… And speaking of one of those really, really good things… Speaking of our son…" She holds onto the bars as she can't scoot any closer to the brunette, "He told me two months ago that he believes that the white knight isn't supposed to kill the evil queen… He believes I'm supposed to kill the curse with true love's kiss… He thinks that if I kill the curse that way, then I have effectively taken the evil from the queen…" Emma reached out to her, "He thinks I need to save you…. Not Storybrooke. Darlin', he thinks that you're a good person… So, if what he says is true…." Emma takes a breath, "Then you need to come out of this cell right now 'cause you've saved two lives…" Regina is about to protest, "And while that doesn't quite make up for what you've done in the past… it's a beginning."

Regina gives Emma a sad look. And Emma stares at her without backing from her statement. She's meant every word.

Regina changes the subject and gestures to the painting, "You know, in the book, that's exactly what your father looks like…minus the curls."

Emma laughs, "Yeah, I guess it is! That's a little weird isn't it?" She walks over to the painting then looks over to Regina, "I mean, cause you said that it was so vivid in your mind..at least my face was… that's what you… Right?"

"No, yes, I think it's more than a little coincidental… I'm just not sure if it was a vision or if it was like me thinking about…everything I had done…and wanting to in some way connect you to your roots. To who you really are…"

Emma walks over to Regina and puts her hands on the bars and her face in between, "Please come out of there."

"But I should be—"

"Forgiven. Which I have done for you. So please… Come out of there."

Regina swallows and stands she gives Emma her set of keys, "I'm sorry I stole these."

Emma takes them and a smirk appears on her features, "Right…I should punish you for that…"

Regina gives her a look then her eyes bug, "Are you saying that…that after all of that…?"

Emma is clearly saying _that_.

"Here?" Regina asks.

"There's a bed right there…there's a desk in my office…there's a desk right there too. There are jail bars…" She pats them, "Right here." Emma gives her a wicked smirk, "Oh I could punish you so bad, Mayor. Don't do the crime if you can't make up for it in hot, steamy sex."

Regina laughs then sobers quickly. She walks over to Emma and kisses her hard between the bars, "Are you coming in here with me or am I going to try to escape."

"Mm," Emma smirks, "To make this easier on all of us…let's go in there together."

**AN: Hello all, I'm not sure when the next time I will be able to update is, but I assure you…as soon as I have finals and the rest of my school work taken care of, I will be furiously typing the next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Hello all! I do hope that you are going to continue this story with me! Again, I apologize for how long it took to update, but school has just take over my life! Anyways… I've been really excited about this chapter, though it's not what started this whole idea—that's still far off. But, I hope you like this one as much as I liked writing it!**

**PS- There's a special shout out to my girl mauraraydor, and her awesome taste in music in this one…**

Emma, over the next three months pretty much moved into the Mayor and Henry's home. If all of the re-organizing Regina has done to her closet doesn't show this, then maybe the fact that Emma can't find a single thing of hers in Mary Margaret's spare room aside from her tie and a few more odds and ends do… But, neither of them will give in and ask the other if the blonde can officially move in with her two brunettes…

Emma looks around the room once more before walking out into Mary Margaret's kitchen. The brunette is making lunch for the two of them since this is Emma's lunch hour.

"You find what you're looking for?" She asks as she looks up from the pot she is stirring.

"Yeah…" Emma looks back at her room then over to Mary Margaret, "Have you noticed that I don't really live here anymore?"

Mary Margaret bites her lip and turns back to the pot to keep from grinning, "What do you mean?"

"I mean that like… Most of my crap is over at the mansion…" She leans into the counter, bracing her foot against one of the bar stools.

"Yes, well… Maybe that's a good thing…" The brunette turns around once more.

"What do you mean?"

"Emma, you truly have been like family to me. I mean, since we met, I've had this need to try to, I don't know… protect you or take care of you. But, just like all baby birds, I think it's just about time for you to fly from the nest…"

Emma knits her brows and gives her a confused, thoughtful look, "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that you and Regina love each other and I don't see you parting anytime soon, so why not just officially move in with her?"

Emma's eyes now bug and she takes about ten steps back until she hits a nearby pillar, "We're… we're not… We don't… I mean…We haven't even said!..." She looks down in thought, trying to process it, "I'm not sure two relationally challenged people like ourselves are quite ready to move in together… I mean… That _woman!_" Emma wipes her hands over her face, "She's so frustrating! I need an out! And she does too…"

Mary Margaret laughs, "Alright fine… don't ask if you can move in… Chicken." She teases, "But bare in mind that even when you do finally fly out of the nest, you can always come back… Okay?" She looks at Emma seriously, then remembers her tortellini and begins to serve it.

Emma smiles and nods her thanks for the food… and the teasing advice, "I'm not going to fly out of the nest for a while… I swear! I mean… we've only been together five months… There's plenty of time for all of that other stuff…" She takes a bite, "OH. MY. GOD!" She says through a mouthful of food, "This is sooooooo good! Thanks Mary Margaret."

The brunette hums her, 'You're welcome,' and starts in on her own food. She is about to open her mouth and destroy the silence by asking Emma why she was so quickly adamant about not moving out of the apartment… secretly hoping the answer was because she didn't want to leave Mary Margaret by herself, but Emma's phone went off, and Jason Mraz was belting.

"I won't give up on us. Even if the skies get rough. I'm giving you all my love. I'm still looking up. I'm still looking up. Well, I won't give up on us. God knows I'm tough. He knows we got a lot to learn. And God knows we're worth it. I—"

"Hey lady." Emma answers. She looks over to Mary Margaret who's giving her a look, telling her she's adorable. She swats her hand toward the brunette telling her to stop, "I text you I wasn't coming 'cause I had to pick up the stuff for the thing tonight… Right, yes. _The Ball_ tonight, not the thing… Well, I could have eaten with you and gotten in trouble later, or do what I did, which I thought was the right thing, yet somehow I'm still in trouble?" She shovels about three mouthfuls of tortellini down her gullet before she speaks again, unintelligibly due to the pasta. She rolls her eyes, chews and swallows, "I said I'm hurrying and I'll run over there for tail end of lunch, 'kay? Not okay? But…" She lowers her head, "Fine… I guess…I—" She stares at the phone as she brings it down, the call having obviously ended, "Love you. Stupid crazy bitch." She mumbles.

_Maybe that's why she's not moving in right away…_ Mary Margaret shakes her head, "Who was that?" She says in a goofy, knowing voice.

Emma gives her a look, "You know very well who it was…"

"Why is she a stupid crazy bitch?"

Emma gasps, "Mary Margaret! You just…" Her eyes widen, "You just said the 'B' word!" She hissed out in a 'scolding' manner before taking the rest of her pasta in her mouth.

Mary Margaret watches on in both disgust and intrigue, "That was… gross. Seriously… why so sad at the end there?"

"She's not letting me come see her for the last half of her lunch hour…" Emma puts her dish in the sink, rinses it out then puts in on the drying rack before she walks over to grab her tie and her oxfords. She then heads towards the door.

"Wait.. so… Where are you going?" Mary Margaret asks.

"To see her during the last half of her lunch hour." Emma smirks and winks at her, "She might be a crazy bitch, but she's got me wrapped around her pinky finger…"

Emma walks into Regina's office unannounced just as Regina is throwing away the remnants of her meal.

Regina looks up at her, "I told you not to come…" She gives Emma a scolding look.

"I don't listen well." Emma gives her a grin as she saunters over to the desk and plops down on top of it, facing her brunette girlfriend.

"So I've gathered… since the day you entered into our lives you haven't listened to a single thing I've told you." Regina rolls her eyes as she tries to pull a document from under Emma's rear.

"Now, now… I listen to all the good stuff… I just… ignore all the stuff I don't want to hear…"

"Yes, and that's healthy in a relationship…" Regina looks up at her sarcastically.

Emma grins and gives her a smirk, "I didn't mean it like that… I listen to everything… I just… know what you really mean more often than not… So… 'don't waste your time coming over here' really means, 'I wanna see you and I'll probably let you make out with me because you did do the right thing by going to get your shoes and tie for tonight and I did actually get the text I just secretly miss you and am having Emma withdrawals which is why I called in the first place.'" Emma finally moves to the side so that Regina can finally get the document she needs to put her file together.

"I think you've been spending too much time with that pixie haired mother of yours… You sound rather fluffy dear…" Regina stands and walks over to her filing cabinet.

Emma is only a pace behind her. She pushes Regina into the cabinet… just to make sure it's good and shut, she wraps her arms around her and whispers into Regina's ear, "I am half of her… and the other half is just a fluffy…" She kisses the spot behind her ear, "And you love it… 'cause you're secretly a bunny just like the rest of us fairytale characters…"

"You are hardly a character…" Regina turns around and looks at her.

"Am too!" Emma says like a child, "I'm the savior!" She leans in and kisses her girlfriend, leaving the other woman breathless.

After Emma finally pulls away, Regina looks at that knowing smirk that graces the blonde's features, "Yes, you are dear… You really are."

Emma leans in and pecks her once more, "Tell me the truth… Did you really want me to come because of all the stuff I said?"

Regina gives her a look, "Come on, Emma. I have things to do before I leave the office today…"

Emma traps her against the cabinet, "Come on…"

"Yes…" She huffs after a staring contest with Emma. "Are you happy? Yes. I called you because I wanted you to come even though I told you not to…"

Emma grins, "Aww, look at you all getting huffy and puffy because you're still getting used to feeling fluffy again…" Regina pushes the blonde away from her, "Hey come on now, Lady…" Emma grabs her hand and pulls Regina into her so that they are in a ballroom hold.

"What do you want now?" Regina is showing her annoyance at Emma's ability to make her feel all of these things in such a little amount of time.

"You." Emma says with the biggest puppy eyes.

Regina takes her hand from Emma's and wraps her arm around the blonde's neck, "Oh Darling… you have that…" She says as she leans up for a kiss.

At this supremely inconvenient moment… when Emma has finally shut her arrogant self up, Mallory knocks as she enters the office, "Madam Mayor, do you—Oh! Sorry!" She turns her head to the side, as the other two women break apart.

Emma half groans in agony as she hears that girl's voice. She pulls from Regina and watches the brunette as she wipes her lips and straightens her clothes, "Do I… what Mallory?"

Mallory is at first too busy to look directly at the mayor, as the Sherriff is much to fun to look at, but she eventually hears Regina's words and eventually catch up to her, "Do you have the file I asked you to sign and check ready? I was going to go down to the basement and file these, and I thought I would take that one as well, if it was finished…"

Regina walks over to her desk, picks up another file and stretches her arm to give it to her. Mallory had already resumed staring at Emma. Regina cleared her throat, "Miss Decker."

"Hmm?" Mallory turns back to Regina once more, but kept one eye on the blonde, "Oh thanks."

Regina lets Mallory get all the way to the door, "Oh, Miss Decker…" she walks the dozen feet or so over herself. She glances toward Emma then back, "I would appreciate it if you kept your gawking to a minimum. She's beautiful, not a circus freak."

Mallory turns bright red, "I'm sorry Madam Mayor… I didn't realize I was…" She trails off.

"Ogling?" Regina cocks her head to the side, "Oh Mallory, I think you know exactly what you were doing…" Regina takes a step into Mallory's bubble, "This is your first and only warning, you understand me?"

Emma's ears are burning and she has to turn around to keep from showing her enjoyment of what is happening.

"Yes ma'am."

"Alright." Regina opens the door for her, "Go on now."

"Yes ma'am."

After she hears the click of the door Emma turns back around, "Someone's being a territorial little bitch today."

Regina cocks her head to the side, staring at Emma's smirk, "Yes well…" She shrugs, "You're mine and that's all there is to it."

Emma grins and leans into her, nipping at her neck, "Listen… I have to go back to the station, take care of my own paperwork, then I'll be at the mansion to get ready, alright?"

Regina nods and gives her one last kiss, "I'll see you later Dear."

"Yeah." Emma confirms then walks out.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma gets home a lot sooner than Regina or Henry, who is now taking himself to therapy. She decides for comfort before having to go to this shindig, so she puts her pajamas back on, then makes her way downstairs to the living room. She pops in her DVD of old GCB episodes and has a ball of her own.

She falls asleep during the first episode on the disc, and isn't woken up until Regina walks through the door, which is when she hears voices.

"Shh, Mom, Emma's sleeping. Stop clacking." Henry whispers.

Emma can practically hear Regina's facial reaction, "Why is she asleep." She asks just as quietly as Henry.

"I don't know. I think she's tired… She didn't sleep over last night. She said she doesn't sleep well when she sleeps at her own place…" There is more clacking as Regina moves over to Emma, "Mom let her sleep a little longer! It won't take her that long to get ready…"

Emma can hear the incredulousness in Regina's voice, "I know that Henry…" her voice softens to a whisper, "I'm just going to sit with her a bit before I get ready myself." She carefully lifts Emma's head and sits, then lowers it back into her lap. She begins tracing the blonde's features as Henry observes them.

Emma, still with her eyes closed, reaches for the hand that is tracing her face and kisses it a couple times then grins, opens her eyes and says, "I'm awake, but that feels nice." Before putting the fingers right back where they were.

"Ah! MOM! I knew you were going to wake her up!" Henry says through a whine.

"Relax kid… I didn't wake up to her, I woke up to someone stage-shushing…" Emma gives him a grin, telling him she doesn't really care.

Henry pulls the corners of his lips as far apart as his mouth will let him making an 'eek' face. He then turns and looks seriously at his mom, "Why can't I go?"

"Henry…"

"'Because' isn't an answer!"

"Kid has a point…" Emma looks up at Regina.

"Emma…"

"What? He does… this way, I'm not bored out of my mind when you go do mayor type things like smiling and bullshitting and carrying on conversation with the most uninteresting people in this place… Come on Lady, let him come… He'll be good!"

"It wouldn't be him I'd be worried about if the both of you were there…" Regina says in a flat tone.

Emma laughs despite Regina's jab, "He'll be a good babysitter! Let him come!"

"Fine… Let's go get ready." Regina pushes Emma's head from her lap and stands up to move to her room.

Emma follows dutifully, but stops in front of Henry to get him a hi-five and a 'woogidy, woogidy, woogidy' handshake.

Emma walks to Regina's bedroom and locks the door… it will more than likely take them longer to get ready than Henry, and no one wants to see their parents naked…

She turns around to see Regina in nothing but her very, very short silk robe. She begins to put her make-up on and Emma watches completely mesmerized. Once Regina is finished with her lips, she glances at the blonde then double-takes to make sure that Emma is indeed staring at her, "What?"

"You are exquisite." Emma says.

"Exquisite, huh?"

Emma nods and moves further into the room, "Yeah…"

Regina gives her a cocky smile, "Wait 'til you see me in the dress."

Emma crosses her arms and narrows her gaze, "What am I going to like about it?"

"Everything… It's a little something I kept from Fairytale World…"

Emma gives her a disgusted look, "If it's puffy and cute, I might throw up."

"No Dear, it's neither puffy nor cute… it's chic and sexy." She smiles a knowing smile.

Emma sighs, "Well then… By all means, let's get this dress on you…" Emma says.

"Oh thank you Dear, I do need help with the back…" Regina pulls the dress from her closet and shows her the corseted back.

Emma stares at the intricate detail of the middle and the top collar of the dress, then her eyes flow to the shoulders—_Which totally have padding them…Eh, if anyone, that woman can bring shoulder pads back into fashion…_ Emma thinks then moves on to the design on the sleeves before seeing that the burgundy just kind of flows from that point. _Oh my damn… This is gonna be so sexy on her…_

Regina decides that Emma's seen enough of the dress alone and decides to bare all and get this changing thing started. Emma tries to walk over and kiss her, "NO!" Regina says quickly, "You'll ruin my make-up. None of that until after the ball."

Emma rolls her eyes and kisses Regina's neck nevertheless before helping the woman slide into the dress. Emma is surprised by how easy it was to get her into it… She thinks that she should have needed Crisco or butter to help her slide, but she didn't.

Emma's mouth is dry by the time she finishes with Regina's bodice, and she quickly moves to her own clothes: a tux that she finally convinced Regina to 'allow' her to wear… She was going to wear it whether it was 'approved' by Regina or not. But… the fact that it was approved meant she wasn't going to hear about it for the rest of their lives, which is always a plus.

She shrugs the jacket of the tux on tightens the black tie as she steps into her oxfords. She pulls the laces tight then she does a quick step and a spin before looking up to find the mayor with a raised brow and crossed arms as she leans against the doorframe.

"My, my, Sherriff Swan. You do clean up nice…" Regina says with an all-powerful smirk.

"You are one to talk… Your Majesty." Emma smiles that charming smile of hers before she takes Regina's hand and kisses it.

"Emma…" Regina's tone is one of scolding.

"What?" Emma cocks her head to the side, "Are you or are you not royalty in Fairytale Land?...World? Whatever…"

"I am…"

"Then you should get used to being called 'your majesty' again, 'cause I got a feeling that the curse is gonna break soon…"

Regina looks up at Emma, nodding her head, "Me too…" She smiles a genuine, happy smile, "And if that is the case, then you should start getting used to princess… Princess."

~0~0~0~0~0~

The ball was rather extraordinary…for a world without magic. But, Regina has been feeling odd all day. Emma had been right earlier, yes, she did want her to really come because she missed her, but at the same time, she wasn't sure if it would be safe for Emma. She realized after Emma left that she knew exactly what was happening… her powers were coming back to her. Her powers were coming back to her in a world without magic… Which only meant that the world was gaining magic… Which meant that the curse was indeed breaking.

Regina takes a breath as she steps out and leans against a tree a ways away from the party. She looks down and flicks her hand so that it forms a small fireball then closes it just as quickly as it appears. She looks around for a minute before she tries to flash. She successfully flashes to sitting in the tree she had been leaning against, then flashes back so that she is leaning against the tree once more.

With a snap of her fingers she is holding an apple. She stares at it like it is the only thing that really understands her to her very core… then she remembers Emma.

"Hey Lady…"

_Speak of the Princess herself…_ Regina thinks as she turns to find Emma heading her way.

"Hey…"

Emma stares at her, "Not to sound like an asshole, but damn Madam Mayor, that dress is just painted on you, and quite frankly I'd give anything to be taken to your bedchamber right about now…" Emma smiles, waiting for the laugh that is bound to come.

Regina only gives her a small chuckle that is anything but lively like she was expecting.

"You okay? You haven't been doing anything very… Mayor-like since we got here…"

Regina nods, "I'm fine… where's Henry?"

"He's hanging out with Ruby and Archie…" Emma knit her brows with concern, "I told them I'd probably be a while… What's going on, Lady?"

"I have my powers back…" Regina says quietly, checking to make sure no one was coming out.

"You…" Emma looks at her disbelieving, "Have… your powers..back… Right… in this world without magic, you have magical powers… Sure." She laughs at Regina.

Regina raises a brow; then with a flick of her wrist, she is using her version of 'the force' to hold Emma gently in the air. Emma gasps and wiggles around, looking for something to hold onto.

"Regina!"

"Relax, Dear… I won't drop you…" She seems to have almost a giggle to her tone, "I won't ever hurt you." She whispers.

"Regina… put me down…" Emma says in a quiet voice as she tries to swim in the air over to the brunette. Regina does so and Emma takes her face in her hands, "So you have your powers back in a world without magic…"

"Which means…"

"The curse is breaking." Emma says in realization. She stares into the big doe eyes before her, "What's really going on?"

"I've only ever used my power for evil." Regina pulls from the blonde and walks a couple feet from her.

"And…?"

"I'm not Evil anymore. I don't want to _be_ Evil anymore. I don't want them." She holds herself.

"You don't want your powers?" Emma is very confused.

"No… Emma… I can't have my powers if they are just going to turn me evil…"

"Hey… Regina? Look at me." Regina turns around and looks in the green-grey orbs before her, "Your powers are the same as any weapon… they don't kill, they don't control the person… the person controls them…the person is the one that kills. Lady, if you don't want to use your powers for evil, then use them for good…"

"I was always going to originally… But…" Regina stopped speaking.

"My mom ruined your life…"

"No… She didn't…not intentionally anyway…not intentionally at first anyways…" She corrected herself once more, "I let it happen. It was just easiest to blame her… I let my personal battles get in the way of my using magic for good and not evil. I just… started down this path, this path that I… didn't even want to start down, and I just couldn't veer off course to create my own rules with this special I have…" She looks up at Emma again, "Emma, in this world, the person is in charge of the weapon… in ours… it's anybody's guess. I think…" She takes a step or three back to Emma and takes her hands, "I think that as long as you're mine, as long as you want to be mine, that is… I think I'll be able to be good. I think I'll be able to be only good. I think I will be able to ignore temptation whenever it tries its strongest.."

"You really think all that?" Emma asks with a grin.

"I do." Regina nods as she wraps her arms around the blonde's neck.

"Then it looks like you're in for a life of good from here on out." She wraps her arms around Regina's waist and they sway for a moment or two.

After a bout of silence, Regina speaks up, "I want to take you to the wall of hearts." She says quietly.

"The wall of hearts as in… the ones you… with your hands and then kept? Like the soul-hearts? Not the ones that beat in the chests?" Emma looks at her to make sure she's assuming correctly.

Regina nods, "That's a few ways to put it, yes…"

Emma nods, takes a moment to digest it. She knew that Regina was going to take her to the wall sooner or later… she honestly thought she would have to push Regina to take her, but if she wanted to go at this moment… Archie and Ruby were more than capable of taking care of the kid for a little as they venture off to wherever the fuck to a wall with hearts locked in boxes.

"Alright…" Emma says, "But can you like… poof us there all Barbara Eden style? I don't want to walk or search for the car in that tiny ass parking lot."

"Barbara Eden… I Dream of Jeannie… that's the best you can come up with for how you would like to flash somewhere?"

"Um, I believe I said 'poof,' Dear…" Emma gives her a look that says, 'Yeah, I just called you 'Dear'! What are you gonna do?' then she nods her head, telling her she is finished.

Regina begins to whisper in her ear, "I prefer the word, 'Flash,'" she snaps her fingers and pulls away, "It's less… flippant." She says as she looks at Emma.

Emma's jaw drops as she takes Regina in. She's 'Barbara Eden'd out, but instead of pink, the outfit is the same burgundy as the dress and has some charcoal and black accents. "Oh my God… you are so…" She takes Regina's waist and lets her thumbs gently trace the Mayor's hip bones, "I know that we're about to go somewhere very, very serious and sad, but God damn you are but the sexiest person I've ever met in my life."

With the statement finally out of Emma's mouth, Regina takes hold of Emma's wrists and flashes them to the wall of hearts. Regina is back in her dress… the fun is over. She leads Emma over to stand in front of the wall with her.

"I want to give them all back." She says quietly

Emma looks at her, "Okay… how do we do that?"

The brunette notices the fact that Emma said 'we' not 'you'. She stares at Emma for a moment, and when the blonde finally turns from the expansive wall, she brings her in for a kiss. Right before she let their lips touch, something takes over Regina and, for some reason, she pauses and feels her heart. She looks at Emma in question.

The blonde is giving the same look back, "What Lady?"

Regina's questioning look does not falter, "You're heart isn't pounding…you're not scared of me?"

Emma looks at her with knitted brows, "Why would I be scared of you? Because you've ripped the soul-hearts out of this many people plus some actual hearts?" Regina gives her a 'doy!' look, "I guess I'm the Fiyero to your Elphaba, Dear."—that's right, she said 'Dear' not Regina for the second time that night, "I'm either brainless or wise…but either way I have complete faith in you. I mean, I've fallen under a spell you didn't cast. You couldn't have cast it without your powers—the big ones that can actually do damage..according to you though, you couldn't have cast it anyways because you can't cast a spell for love…even though Rumple tried with my parents' hair…" Emma gives an awkward look, "… And besides all that, you can't rip out what I've already given you…"

Regina pulls away and walks a few feet away then turns back to her with this scared look, "You love me?" She looks completely confused.

This makes Emma happy, "Yes Dear."—again with the 'dear' this evening...

Regina cocks her head to the side, "I love you too."

Emma smirks and walks over to her and whispers, "Yeah, I know." She smiles. "Now…how do we get these souls back to their rightful owners?"

**AN: Alright… like I said, I do hope you guys liked it! I did not expect this one to be so long! But as always, please let me know if you liked it by R&Ring!**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Okay, I soooo planned on updating this earlier than now, but life got in the way and the power of 3… so after THREE things went wrong medically, a final that had to be delayed TWO days and ONE trip to the hospital, I'd say it's time to call Houston and tell them I'm ready for take-off… Again, I'm sorry for the delay, and I **_**should**_** be updating weekly now… Here it is:**

Henry and Emma are sitting at the kitchen table in the mansion; it's the day after the party and the poofing…err, the 'flashing'. Regina is finishing with loading dishes after her son and lover emptied the clean ones for her. She glances outside to her shed and decides it's time for another bout of painting so she can clear her head.

Once she finishes, she dries her hands and walked over to see what exactly her son is up to. Henry turns and sees her peering at his homework, "Vocabulary…" He provides.

"All of those sentences are about the Hulk." Regina gives him a look, "Are you supposed to pick one subject for all your words?"

"No, but it's fun. And Miss Blanchard just shakes her head when she grades my papers… It's entertaining for both the student and the teacher. I get to write about a different Marvel superhero every week, and she laughs at how much I have to bend my vocab words to fit the superhero I chose for the week…" Henry shrugs and goes back to his vocab.

Emma and Regina exchange an amused glance before Emma tries to hide behind yesterday's paper. Regina shakes her head and kisses the top of Henry's, ruffling his hair before moving on to his other mother. She kisses the top of the blonde's head as well, but Emma doesn't settle for just the top of her head. She leans into the back of the chair and Regina's front and side. Really, Regina has no other choice but to lean down and kiss her lover—not that she would choose anything different even if there were.

She makes to move, but Emma grabs hold to her forearm, silently asking her where she thinks she's wandering off to. Regina smirks and nods her head outside, telling Emma exactly what she was doing as she tries once more to leave, but Emma's grip stays strong, and Regina is yanked back so that she's right in front of the blonde "How long?" She asks just barely loud enough to hear (so as not to disturb Henry) as she wraps her arm around the brunette's lower back, securing her hold on her.

Regina shrugs, "I don't know." Regina matches her tone, "You can visit me if you get bored." She grins and kisses her girlfriend again, "Just need to clear my head." She says through an Eskimo kiss.

Emma puckers and steals yet another kiss, and this is when Henry drops his pencil and looks at his mothers expectantly, "Alright. I know that you guys have been together for a while now and I know that you know that I'm okay with it… But I repeat for the seventy-billionth time…. I Don't Want To See It!"

This makes both women laugh, "You're right, I'm sorry Henry." Regina pushes from Emma and moves to the door, "We have this evening while someone is at that sleepover…" She winks at Emma then closes the door behind her as she leaves.

The mother and son left behind watch her walk down to her many apple trees and inspect them before she can't be seen anymore as she makes her way inside the shed.

"You know your mom is good, right?" Emma says just before he picks his pencil up once more.

"So you say, but I still think that when she gets her powers back, things might change…" Henry looks to his blonde mother.

"Well, have you noticed anything different in her from two days ago to now?"

"No…?"

"She got her powers back yesterday, kid…" Emma bites her lip and looks at him seriously, "She believes in herself about as much as you do…"

"I believe in her."

"So you say…" Emma repeats his words.

"I do, I just think that her powers can only be used for evil… I don't know how much control she actually has over them…"

"Kid…" Emma turns to him square on, "I think that as long as you and me are around… as long as we stick together and stay a family… I think she'll be just fine. She does too. She just needs someone to love and to love her… preferably two someones…"

"You know I love her…" Henry looked down.

"What I don't know is why you're ashamed of it…"

"Because she's the evi—"

"_WAS!_ Henry. She _was_ the evil queen… She _is_ Regina… did you ever read her story?"

"Yeah…"

"So you know how she became evil?"

"Yeah… her mom killed Daniel and she hates Snow White because of it…"

"And what is the key difference between her as an Evil Queen and her as Regina?"

"L…Love?" Henry asks.

"Isn't always?" Emma smirks, "Listen kid, she doesn't want me to tell you this, but I'm going to anyways… She took me to her wall of hearts…"

Henry stares at her blankly, "What happened?"

"She wants to put them back in the bodies… She wants to take you once that's done… once her evil deeds—the ones that she can fix, the ones she can reverse are taken care of… She told me that if she didn't even want her powers… sound familiar?"

"Sounds like Regina when her mom had the powers." Henry looks out into the backyard again, "Why can't I see before the hearts are gone?"

"Because she doesn't want you to see just how evil she once was… Neither do I."

"But I will get to see, right?" He asks.

"Mhmm…"

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma and Regina are once again standing at the wall of hearts. They are both wearing all black, and both of their lithe forms look amazing in their fitted black. Emma has a knit hat on and is scratching her head in a curious way, "So… how do we go about doing this?"

Regina rolls her eyes and looks at her, "Excuse me?"

"Well… do we go row by row? Column by column? Do we make like a square spiral thing starting with the top left then spiraling to the center? Pick and choose are random? How do we do this?"

Regina smirks and snaps her fingers. A holographic 3-D rendering of Storybrooke comes between the two of them.

"Oh cool!" Emma says in awe.

"I figured we could go by neighborhood…? Starting here…" She swirls her finger around a neighborhood's lines and certain drawers from the wall begin to push themselves open.

Emma watches on in fascination, "Alright… Sounds good…" She continues to watch as Regina orders the boxes to stack on top of each other like Legos and with a final snap of her fingers shrink down to something so small the Borrowers could handle it with ease. Emma's jaw is dropped as Regina walks over to her and takes her hand.

"Ready?" She asks.

Emma blinks slowly a couple times, "Uhh… sure… That was so cool! How'd you do that?" She asked then face palms because she knows the answer.

"Magic." They say together.

Regina snaps her fingers and she and Emma then find themselves standing in a cal de sac.

"Okay, the houses have indicators above them like—"

"Like the Sims!" Emma points at the giant twirling green diamond, "Honestly Regina, you couldn't even pick a different color?" Emma feels Regina's stare on her and watches as the diamond changes to purple, "How hard was that?"

"You're getting too used to this already…" Regina smirks then leads the way up the driveway to the gate of the large estate they were headed for, "Shall we?"

"We shall." Emma locks her fingers together and bends down a little.

"Honestly, Darling, I can just flash us in, why do you insist on cat burgling?" Regina asks as she's hoisted to the top of the gate.

Emma takes a running leap and rather gracefully gets herself high enough to pull herself over, "Okay, first of all, we are not burgling… we're just… catting…" She frowns at this word, "And second, just because you can flash doesn't make it as fun… with this there's a bit of a _Bonnie and Clyde_, _In Time_ kind of thing… except we're really not taking a damn thing…" Emma jumps down before Regina and grabs her upper thigh and ass… to help her from the gate of course, "And I get to see you all stealthy-like, which is rather sexy…" Regina turns into Emma's hold… who has yet to remove her hand, "And then there's this whole… my hand on your ass thing…" The blonde waggles her brows.

Regina swats Emma and shakes her head, "You're horrible."

"More like adorable." Emma grins.

It's at this point they hear a distinct growling. They turn to find two rather large guard dogs about five feet from them ready to pounce, "So…let's flash into this place…"

"Right." And with that, they flash into the bedroom they were headed for.

Regina puts her hand up as whispers some kind of incantation that puts both people in the bed into a deep sleep. Emma cocks her head to the side as Regina pulls the tiny boxes from her pocket. Regina sees her curious look, "You ever see _Sleeping Beauty_? The cartoon one?" Emma nods, "You know how Flora, Fauna and Meriwether put the kingdom to sleep while Philip fights Maleficent? So that they won't feel pain at the potential loss of Aurora" The blonde nods again, "Well… I don't want them to feel pain while I shove their hearts back into their chest…" Regina taps on the glowing box to make it normal size and removes the heart from it.

She walks over to the man asleep in his bed and does exactly what she said she was going to do… She shoves the heart back in his chest.

"Uuugh! Oh! What the hell! That looks so wrong! Is that what you did to these people before except opposite?" Emma asks in disgust and… something else. Regina gives her a look, "Alright..sorry…wrong place, wrong time I got it. But really!...Is it?"

Regina gives Emma her best snarl, but Emma's face is filled with emotions from disgust to intrigue to curiosity…and she obviously just wants to know what Regina was like in Fairytale Land…so she looks down in shame and nods. She gives another spell, then looks up to explain, "So they won't be out of sorts whenever they wake up and they won't feel like something was shoved back into their body…"

They do a neighborhood a night for the next couple weeks…going door to door, then going back to the heart wall to put the boxes back…

They are all done except for one heart; Emma stares at it then back to Regina. Regina motions for the heart box to come forward and it opens. The blonde looks inside to see dust. She looks at Regina quizzically.

"When they are crushed, they are literally crushed to dust." Regina says quietly.

"Graham?" Emma asks.

"Graham." Regina nods, her voice barely audible. Emma turns her head quickly to the side; not looking at the remains or Regina, "It was before…" She didn't really have an excuse. "It was the last evil thing I've ever done. I saw how much I truly hurt you, and I st…I stopped. I couldn't see you hurt ever again." Emma looks at her and knits her brows. She opens her mouth to speak, but Regina continues, "I could see you mad as hellfire. I could see you frustrated..both sexually and generally. I could see you pissed at me and everyone in this town but your mother and your son. I could see you manipulated, I could see you humiliated, I could see you worn out. I could see you troubled, deceived, and anxious; I could see you angry, annoyed and resentful…confused, concerned, exhausted, worried, lost." Regina gets closer to her, "But I could never see you sad, heartbroken, helpless, hopeless, or hurt; I could never see you feel like you had been rejected or unloved or like you were used or so completely vulnerable in that way ever again. So I stopped."

"And you started doing good, like building your son a safe castle." Emma pulls her in as Regina looks away. "That's why I love you, you know?" After a questioning look, Emma continues, "I love you because you own up for your shit…whether you realize you do or not, you do it in your own way. You've always done that, but now you're owning up for so much shit that people are going to be like, 'What the deuce? She's really _nice_?' and I'll be all like, 'Hell yeah, Bitches! Too little too late for you! She's all for me!'" Emma looks down goofily and back up at her, "Right?"

Regina can't help the smile, "Of course, Dear. That's exactly right."

They hear the distinct sound of Regina's father's tomb being pushed aside and hear the small footfalls to reveal their son. They both give him raised brows. "What? I followed you guys here… I wanted to see the wall." Henry looks at Regina who crosses her arms, telling him that he is still in trouble, "Mom!" He says offended, "Emma said that you said it was going to be okay once all the hearts were back in the bodies… She also said that you were finishing tonight… So… I waited until I heard your voices again…"

"Emma told you that did she?" Regina's 'mom' stare is now trained on her lover.

"Did Emma not tell you that she already told Henry?" Emma asks, "You know… I'll bet she was caught up and exhilarated by all the stuff that's been going on lately that she forgot…" After a beat or two she sobered from talking in the third person, "Please don't ground me!"

She points at Henry, then gestures for him to come stand in front of her, which he does. She wraps her arms over his shoulders, which is something she won't be able to do much longer, "Look, Henry is half me, and let me tell you… his father was neither curious nor stubborn, so I knew what he was going through and I thought he had the right to know what we were doing instead of us saying, 'Oh, hey… Henry, we finished cleaning out the wall of hearts. Yeah, it existed. If you want to see it, we'd love to take you down and tell you who we—well, you shoved hearts back into…' I mean, he would have known something was going on…"

"Yeah mom, I would have…" Henry tries to help Emma out.

"Is this how it's going to be? You both giving me that puppy look all the time? When one of you does something that I don't know about."

"No." they both say but nod their head 'yes'.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Okay, last time I said I would update weekly… It's been over a week already… I don't know where the time went. But if you guys let me know what you think as you all are so good at doing so I made this one EXTRA Long, I will update again sometime tomorrow.. No lie. I'm already working on Chapter 8 as you read! Thank you all so much for reviewing; your words really do help! Here it is:**

Mary Margaret Blanchard is often surprised by her roommate. She never expected Emma to be as good a roommate as she is. She never expected her to actually take what she says to heart. She never expected to feel like the two of them had formed a bit of a family unit… And she _NEVER_ expected said unexpected family to make the family even bigger by dating and falling in love with the Mayor of all people in the town.

Though, if she really thought about it, she knew the whole time that all of those things would happen… she knew that Emma was needed in this town the first moment she saw her. They Mayor had become particularly horrid the year before she came and something really needed to happen to unwind her. She didn't know what the first clue was… When the Mayor walked into her classroom with Emma behind her, or the spark in Emma's eyes after she bailed the blonde out of jail only to find out that she took a chainsaw to half of the Mayor's tree… Or maybe it could have been the constant banter and fights… or the raw sexual charge that was clearly evident when both of them were scared for Henry in the mines—Now, she wasn't actually there for that one, but Ruby was one to go on and on with it… and really it only seemed logical even though it was so unexpected.

All of this is why she is standing before Emma, jaw-dropped and unable to gather her thoughts after the inevitable bomb she knew was coming was finally dropped. "You want me to what now?" She shakes her head and stares at her blonde roommate.

"I want you to pretend your Regina… I need to practice both questions..." Emma says with those eyes that no one has a chance of saying 'no' to.

Mary Margaret's face contorts, "Emma… I don't think I can do that… It's just weird… Get Ruby or someone to do it for you."

"But Mary Margaret! Ruby didn't see me in the jewelry store purchasing the ring two weeks ago! _AND!_ if she finds out, then all hell is going to break loose." Emma says.

Mary Margaret tilts her head and crosses her arms. She speaks in a motherly, knowing tone, "Now you know that's not true. Ruby will gladly keep her mouth shut until it actually happens… And she is a much better actress than me. She'll be able to be a bi—to play Regina much better than I ever could."

Emma shifts her weight and puts her hands on her hips, "You were gonna call her a bitch." Her tone is accusatory.

"No." Mary Margaret says as she nods her head in a 'yes' motion.

Emma knits her brows, _Okay, maybe I should have thought this through… I mean… I can't mock propose to my mom… especially when she just did the head nod thing…_ "Alright _fine!_ I will ask Ruby… but one thing…" Emma pulls out the ring box and opens it, "Do you think she's gonna like it?" Emma bites her lip nervously.

Mary Margaret's eyes widen as she takes the rose gold band that holds the most exquisite pear shaped diamond, a Fleur-de-Lis symbol embedded with diamond and onyx accents on either side. In Emma's eyes, the Fleur-de-Lis symbols showed her ever-impending royalty and strength; in Mary Margaret's they were a lovely addition to a lovely ring. "Oh Emma…" The brunette covers her mouth, "That is beautiful." She mumbles through said covered mouth.

"Yeah?"

"That… that is Regina…" Mary Margaret says as she takes her hand away and begins to trace the felt lining of the box.

Emma smiles, "Good…" She looks up at Mary Margaret, "At least you're good for something." She says sarcastically before walking around the counter and hugging her, "Thank you."

"For what?" The brunette looks at the blonde.

"For everything… really… Everything." Emma ducks into Mary Margaret's hold, "I love you Mary Margaret."

Mary Margaret is yet again surprised… and once again, she doesn't know why. She just tightens her hold on her best friend and says, "I love you too, Emma."

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma walks into the diner and sits down, "Hey Granny, is Ruby around?"

Granny smiles at her and nods, "Yes she is, she's taking out the trash. You need her for something?" Granny is almost wearing this smirk…

"Yes, actually… is it okay if I go back there?" Emma points to the hallway that leads out to the alley.

"Of course, Sherriff." Granny gestures for Emma to go on back; she is still smiling in a knowing way, which is making Emma wonder if somehow she knew about the ring.

"Thanks…" Emma ignores it and walks back and gets about three feet from the door before it opens and Ruby runs inside…not wearing a coat, "Ruby…"

Ruby stares at her then smiles that cheeky smile of hers, "What are you doing?... back here?"

"I was coming to check on you…"

"Why? You don't come back here unless you need something… what do you need, Sherriff?" Ruby has a knowing look in her eye.

Emma cocks her head and crosses her arms, "Damn it!" She turns around in a stomp and a huff before facing her again, "Did Mary Margaret call you?"

Ruby starts laughing, "Yes she did because she knew you would wuss out on asking me to help… Come on! I want to see it!" She gestures wildly at Emma to follow her into the room next to them, which apparently was an extra, and rather large, pantry. There were actually chairs in the pantry… and a table as well.

Ruby walks over to the table, "Okay…" She says as she starts to loosen the tie on her coat, "I have soooo been waiting for the day that I get to pretend to be Regina…whether that be Halloween or some other reason… She's just such a badass…" She turns to her friend, "Good pick, Emma. Good pick." She says as she takes her coat off.

Emma stares at Ruby blankly, then cocks her head to the side, "You really go all out for your friends, don't you?" She tries to keep from smirking. Ruby is wearing—"Are those Regina's clothes?" Emma asks on closer inspection.

"No!" Ruby says her hands seemingly trying to wipe that idea from Emma's head, "I just pay attention… And after Mary Margaret called, I ran home to get my 'mayor' on…"

Emma shakes her head, "Alright…"

"Okay, so tell me everything you're gonna do so I can get in character."

"Uhh… I was just kinda gonna ask her when I knew the time was right…"

Something comes over Ruby. Her eyes glaze and she stands straighter, crossing her arms. Her tone is lower, "You really believe that will be good enough for the Mayor?" She asks as she sits Emma in a chair forcibly, "No. Try again. This has to be planned."

Emma looks up at Ruby, "Wow… you really… You have the Mayor down…" She smirks, then looks away and begins staring into space, "But that's not Regina…"

"What? Yes huh!" Ruby says.

"That's the Regina you know…" Emma looks at the tall brunette, "She's different now… I can't explain what it is… She won't mind it being spur of the moment… She'd like it."

Ruby smirks and sits down next to Emma, "It sounds like you already know what's going to happen… Why do you think you need practice?"

"Because… I'm scared… I've never been so scared in my life… not when Henry was in the mines, not when Regina and I were in the fire…"

"Why are you scared?" Ruby asks tenderly. She grasps Emma's hand, encouraging her.

"Because… it's like my whole life I've never amounted to anything… and here people are expecting me to be someone I've never known I could be. They expect me to amount to…everything. I feel like if I ask her and she says yes… I mean… there's no going back."

"Didn't you tell Ashley the same thing when she was having my little niece?"

"Yeah…"

"So… are you ready for it? Are you ready for them? For everything?"

"I know that I love them now and that I want them forever now… but literally forever? I ca—I can't know… No one knows…"

"Oh yes they do. You do." Ruby says, "I know you do. I know that you think you might screw up and try to run…" Emma looks at her, "But what I also know... is that you won't. You're too far in to ever run again… Do you realize that?"

"No… I-I-I mean, yeah… Starting to…" Emma looks at Ruby amazed that Ruby seems to have it all figured out before anyone else.

Ruby grins that cheeky grin then pats Emma's knee, "I wanna see the ring!"

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma, Regina and Henry are sitting around the kitchen table eating dinner… over the last few months, Emma has made Regina come to understand that each meal does not need to be a feast, and each meal does not need to be fancy, that they can actually eat on paper plates and sit at the kitchen, not the dining room table.

Regina smirks as she looks at her paper napkin and paper plate in front of her then looks over to Emma. _She's been acting so strange lately…_ She thinks, not knowing how to bring it up for the third time this week alone. Luckily, she doesn't have to.

"Are you okay, Emma?" Henry asks.

"Huh, what? Yeah… I'm fine." Emma replies as she comes from a daze of pushing her mashed potatoes around.

"Are you sure? You've been acting funny lately."

"Nuh uh!" is Emma's only defense.

Henry's twelve-year-old face squints and cocks to the side, "Okay…" He sing-songs in a way that yes, 'Yes huh!'

_That's it…_ Regina thinks, _I'm getting to the bottom of this…_

~0~0~0~0~0~

Regina is on her way to the Sherriff's office. She has a done to pick with her. One that will explain all of Emma's odd actions lately. She can practically hear theme music as she gracefully glides down the sidewalk, but she comes to an abrupt halt as she sees Emma walk out of the station and cross the street to Granny's diner without her coat.

Regina rolls her eyes and continues toward the Sherriff's office. She is going to get her coat for her, no matter how hideous… and rather sexy she finds it and is going to bring it to her. But something stops her as she gets there. Her mind races over the last few weeks. Emma keeps reaching for something in her pocket with this glint in her eyes…then nothing ever happens.

Regina bites her bottom lip.

She's too curious at this point to care about repercussions. She sticks her hand in the jacket to find that, yes; there is something in there. She grabs it and pulls out then drops it when she realizes what it is. "Emma Swan…" She says aloud to no one because thankfully no one is in the Sherriff's office to watch her snoop.

She bends and sits on her knees as she picks up the box. She looks up at the red leather, then back at the box. Before she can even think it through, her hands are popping the ring box open and before her is the most beautiful thing she's ever seen… apart from the woman who bought it and their son. "Emma Swan…" She says again softly with tears in her eyes she can't control.

She, admittedly greedily, puts the ring on, and she just… can't take it off. She stands up and stares at it on her hand for a moment, then finds herself walking out of the station straight for the jewelry shop. Her mind eventually catches up with her feet as she devises a plan that will hopefully make up for her snooping… and stealing her engagement ring before it's time…

As soon as she enters the jewelry shop she sees it… A princess cut diamond for her princess. Rose gold to match her own. The rose gold was amazing and held the most intricate of designs: there were diamond-accented leaves making their way across the shank and toward the princess diamond. She knew Emma might think it a little flashy for her, but when the curse broke completely, it would be something all the lands would deem fit for the savior. Without a moment's hesitation it points at it, asking the clerk to view it. Her Regina senses tingle and she knows that this ring will fit Emma's finger perfectly.

She had just enough time to get back to the Sherriff's station and get the ring box, which now held Emma's ring, in Emma's jacket pocket before anyone spotted her. She was holding onto the sleeve, looking around as she heard the door open to the outer office.

"There you are, Sherriff." Regina says as she crosses the office to her lover.

"Madam Mayor…" Emma gives her a smirk as she walks in her office fully and closes the door, "To what do I owe the pleasure?" She asks as she unties Regina's jacket puts her hands on Regina's hips and pulls her in.

Regina cautiously wraps her arms around Emma's neck, careful not to alert the blonde of the new addition to her hand, "I was just coming over to ask if you wanted to go to lunch with me…?"

Emma's face falls a little, "Oh I would, but I literally just ate… I'll go with you though… if you don't mind me bringing paperwork along?"

_Thank God… _"No, no… It's fine… You stay here… get back to Sherriffing… I have paper work I've been avoiding myself."

"You sure?" Emma asks, "You came all the way over here…"

"Well, I was going to stop by Granny's… someone kept me in bed too late and I didn't have time to pack a lunch…" Regina grins and wraps her arms a little tighter around Emma's neck, silently telling Emma to hold her tighter as well.

Emma immediately does so and kisses Regina as she leans back against the door, "Mmm, you know I can't help myself when you look like that in the morning time…"

Regina rolls her eyes, "I looked like I just woke up…everything was in disarray, it wasn't pretty…"

Emma raised a brow, "That my Queen is where you're wrong…" Emma begins to grin a telling grin.

"Is it?" Regina knows something is going to happen, but she doesn't know what.

"Yes." Emma flips them around, shoving Regina into the door. She begins, ever so subtly pulling on the skirt of Regina's dress so that the brunette will be able to wrap her legs around the Sherriff's waist.

"Mmm, Emma…" Regina is grinning and biting her lip as Emma dives into Regina's neck.

Emma pulls from her neck, after finally getting the skirt high enough and pulls on Regina's legs, who instantly locks them around her waist. After having been enveloped completely… as much as possible with all the clothing, Emma stares intently into her eyes, "I love you."

Regina pushes her back off of the door, causing Emma to stagger back a little before deciding to walk to her chair and sit down with Regina sitting astride her lap. They never break eye contact. The only thing that happens is Regina's right hand moves to Emma's face. "And I love you too." Regina finally whispers out as she leans in and kisses her.

They hear the door open, "Emma! Mom's not at her office and—Oh my eyes! My eyes!" Henry's voice is disgusted and her turns away from his mothers as they try to situate themselves into a more presentable seating arrangement.

"Honey! You made him go all Phoebe!" Emma says after Regina has her skirt pulled back down and is leaning against the desk.

"Honey! He's not allowed to watch _Friends_…" Regina gives the blonde a look.

Emma makes a 'whoopsie!' face and looks over to Henry who is slowly turning around. He takes a peak and sees them apart, "But it was on Nick at Nite, Mom…"

"Isn't that the rule? He can watch Nick at Nite, TV Land, Cartoon Network before evening, or he asks us?" Emma asks cockily.

"That show is not on Nick at Nite." Regina says disbelievingly.

"Yes. It is." Emma stands up and leans against the desk, kissing Regina's lips.

"That show is not appropriate for a kid his age…" She whispers.

"Oh, relax, Honey… It wasn't like a really bad episode…" Emma looks up, "Okay…there were some sex jokes… but he didn't ask me about them, and I don't think he's going to… But for your sanity, we won't watch it anymore." Emma speaks just as softly as Regina.

"Thank you." The brunette again whispers.

"Until next year… because every teenager has the right to know and watch _Friends_." Emma tries not to laugh at Regina's reaction. She sobers though, "Oh come, Honey, it's not like we're gonna have TV when…"

"Is that what you're most worried about?" Regina asks in disbelief.

"Uhh… Duh! Where am I gonna get my funny? And my drama?—Well my cop and doctor drama?" Emma asks her, completely changing the atmosphere to happy-go-lucky kind of feel.

Regina pauses and stands up straight. She lets her hand travel from Emma's shoulder blade south, "I'll figure something out…" she says as she pinches Emma's ass and walks over to their son with a wink then looks at him, "Why are you out of school?"

"I forgot my lunch, and I called, but no one answered, so Mary Margaret drove me to your office… then over here…"

"Where is she now?"

Mary Margaret chose this moment to enter, "Hi, I'm right here… I was waiting in the hallway." She explains.

"Well, thank you very much, Miss Blanchard." Regina gives her a smile, which is completely new for either of them, but it's genuine and Mary Margaret can't help but smile back.

"Sure." She says. "I'll just be on my way."

Emma looks at her mother and her lover, "How about we all go for a quick bite at Granny's that way the three of you can eat before you two go back to school, and you…" Emma puts her arm around Regina's waist, "Go back to work."

Mary Margaret nods and they all head out. Regina takes her ring off…because out in public like that, anyone is bound to see it, and clutches it in her pocket.

As lunch comes and goes, Emma and Regina both thank Mary Margaret again for making sure Henry is fed before they make a quick break back to school. Emma and Regina stand outside a few moments before Emma kisses her.

"Henry and I will come pick you up before we all walk to his last session?" She asks.

Regina nods and leans in once more. Emma kisses her before they separate and continue on with the day.

~0~0~0~0~0~

All Regina wanted to do was follow the Sherriff back to her office and have her wicked way with her. But she couldn't very well do that, so she is sitting on the ground in her shed, staring at a blank canvas. She's already sent a text to Emma, telling her that she was at the mansion and not the office, so they would know where to pick her up.

Usually something comes to her and she just starts to paint. Now, the only thing on her mind is that ring that's gracing her finger. _She better do it soon_, she thinks as she stares at it, _I can't keep hiding it._ "I could just tell her I found it… while I was snooping…" _But that would ruin the surprise…both hers and mine for her…_ She pulls her knees to her chest and thinks about it the rest of the day.

Before she knows it, she hears the shed door opening, "Hey lady." Emma says with a smile then turns to the house, "Found her!" She calls before looking at Regina again. Regina smiles at her then starts to take the coveralls off, "Whew, I would ask you to slow it down and make it sexy, but I don't have anything to tip with… My wallet is cleaned out right now…" Emma pats her back pocket before she sits against a table.

"Oh really?" Regina asks as she slows down her taking her coveralls off despite Emma and her mouth. She decides to give her a tease just because the blonde alluded to it, "And what, pray tell has your money been spent on?" Regina asks as she bends down, easing out of her shoes and the bottoms of the coveralls. She then straightens her legs completely and flips her hair back as she arches her back and slowly stands straight again.

Emma is completely gone. She is staring at Regina with an intense lust and love that Regina can't help but smile at. She sashays over to her, "Hmm?"

"Huh?" Emma asks coming to.

"What have you spent your money on?" She asks.

Emma grins, "I'll tell you after we drop Henry off." She says and kisses her.

~0~0~0~0~0~

After they drop Henry off, they step outside off the steps that lead to Archie's office. Emma stretches for a moment, channeling her inner feline, then asks, "Wanna go for a walk? Watch the sunset?"

Regina nods and Emma takes her right hand as she had the entire day. Regina wonders if she's afraid of her left side because of what she wants to put on her left hand… Little does she know that that is exactly what is going through Emma's mind… but little does Emma know that the hard part is already done…

They walk slowly around town as the sun sets and wind up at the town's gazebo. It's still decorated with lights from the latest festival and they sit and look at all of the lights that are still turned on all over the place. Emma has her arm draped over Regina's shoulders and they both sigh contentedly.

Emma then stands up and stares at her… She starts to pace.

Regina asks, "What's wrong, Dear?"

Emma stops and stares. She looks at Regina then begins pacing as she speaks, "I have something that I want to ask you… Well, two somethings, but I don't know how the hell I'm supposed to get the questions out when I don't know what you're going to say and I don't know what will happen if you don't answer them the way I want."

Regina gives her a curious look, "Just ask me Emma." She says in a tone that Emma can't help but feel comfort from, and if the blonde had been paying attention is quite telling.

Emma stops her pacing and finally kneels on one knee, "I want to move in…officially… Address change; the whole bit." Regina bites that perfect bottom lip of hers and begins to speak, but Emma cuts her off, "No, let me get the other one out while I still can." She gives Regina a signature grin and Regina smiles back, nodding. Emma takes a quick, deep breath and Regina does as well. The blonde reaches into her pocket and pulls out the ring box. She opens it and looks down.

"What the fuck?"

Emma looks angered, but at the same time, she's in awe of the ring in the box.

Regina slides down so that she is on her knees as well, "Darling, I don't want to steal your thunder, but I found it this afternoon and I couldn't help myself." She shows her the ring on her hand.

"This afternoon?" Emma looks up in surprise, "You mean you had it on throughout _lunch_?"

"No… that was the only time I took it off though… I didn't want someone else to notice it before you… but you never did… you've been staying on my right side all day…"

"Yeah…" Emma laughs at herself, "I thought that if I grabbed your left hand, you'd figure out why I was acting funny lately… I guess your impatience got the better of you though before my nerves got the better of me…" She has tears in her eyes and doesn't know why, so she hastily wipes them away.

"I'm sorry, Emma… I just saw it and I couldn't process what I was doing until it was done…" Regina had her own tears and Emma wiped them for her, "I saw it and the only thing I thought was 'Emma Swan… wants to marry me?' I didn't quite understand… I mean, I, of course want you with me day and night. Yes, obviously _I_ will marry you, but the real question is will the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming marry the Evil Queen and give her a happily ever after?"

Emma looks from the ring to Regina and bites her quivering lip. She nods and leans in, "Of course I'll marry the mother of my son." She says just before they kiss.

"No wait!" Regina looks down to the box, "Put it on first." She has a genuine smile on her face.

Emma grins lopsidedly and puts the ring on then leans in once more, "Wait! This means I am moving in right?" She looks up at her fiancée.

"Of course it does." Regina laughs through watery eyes.

They lean in again, on their knees in the middle of town, in the gazebo, surrounded by twinkly lights and they kiss…

Just as their lips touch the town shakes. It's exactly like when the mines collapsed except so much worse. Emma and Regina look at each other.

"That can't be good."

**AN: Okay, honestly I don't know where the **_**Friends**_** reference came from, but if you've been with me a while, you know I seemingly can't go an extended fic without referencing the show somewhere… I'm trying to get better, but I had to throw it in there… Again, as always, please let me know what you think!**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Hello all! I would like to let you all know that I now have a tumblr. So, if you're interested: elisesdean dot tumblr dot com. As promised, the next chapter… I will try to post again before next Sunday, but we shall see! I would also like to tell everyone that I know that a lot of the characters mentioned in this chapter haven't appeared before, but they are actually important to the story…I hope…The planning of the story is still in progress, and I'm giving you these characters now, so you will remember them when I use them again later… Anyways, here it is:**

Ruby, Granny and Leroy all feel it. But they are the only three in the diner that do. After looking around Granny decides not to bother all the patrons with her thinking the mines are going under again. Suddenly it takes her over; she knows it's not the mines anymore. She sees her entire fairytale life pass over her eyes. She has all her memories back, and all the ones she is supposed to have of this life.

Granny notices that Leroy is going off on some other customers, "How did you people not feel that?" He slams his mug down and looks around.

"Leroy, you've had enough. Sit down and don't make me call the Sherriff." Granny threatens.

Leroy hmphs into his seat once more and puts his head on the counter.

"Granny?" Ruby comes around from serving.

"Yes dear?"

"What was that?" Ruby asks.

"I don't know… But only three people in this diner of twenty felt anything…" The older woman looks at Ruby who is now keeled over, holding her head, "Are you alright, Ruby?" Granny asks, "Headache?"

"Not exactly…" Ruby finally says as she stands up again. She has a certain fear in her eyes as she looks out at the moon. She sighs as she sees it's a crescent and turns back to Granny.

"You remember?" Granny asks.

"Yeah… How long have you…?" Her grandmother says nothing, as she looks around in curiosity, "Granny?"

"Just a few minutes…" Granny looks around once more, "Red, you speak of this to no one, you understand?"

"Yes, Gran."

"I mean no one! Not even if you're almost positive they know." Granny is touching Ruby's arm, telling her how serious she is.

"Yes, Gran." Red looks at her, "I got it." She pulls her arm from Gran's grasp and goes straight into 'Ruby' as she prances around making sure everyone that was not affected is okay.

Grumpy picks his head up and looks at Granny, "Granny?" He asks in a way that Granny knows exactly what he is asking.

"Not a soul, Leroy. Tell no one." She says as she takes his mug and refills it, "Not until we know why and how."

"You got it, sister." Grumpy says as he takes a drink.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Ashley and Sean feel it. They look around their home and find nothing in disarray. Nothing is fallen. They see Alex sitting on the ground playing with her toys… then it happens.

"Ella?"

"Thomas?"

"How…?"

"I don't know…" Thomas walks over to the window of their apartment, "This isn't how the curse should break… everyone is supposed to know at once. There is nothing going on…" He says as Ella turns the TV onto the News… nothing.

"Okay… So… what do we do?" She asks her husband.

"We do nothing. We say nothing… until we know who all is affected and why. You are still Ashley, I'm still Sean."

~0~0~0~0~0~

August is working on that pesky clock that Mr. Gold gave his father to fix. They both feel the shake and look at each other for a short moment. August moves to turn on the radio for any news then continues on the clock. He sees his father drop a tool and lean over. Then the older man looks back over to him, "Marco?" August asks, "You okay?"

Marco stares long and hard at his son, "Lift up your pant leg." He doesn't ask it, he orders it, "Go on my boy, it's okay. Let me see."

August swallows a difficult lump before he begins to lift his jeans exposing his legs one at a time.

"Pinocchio." Geppetto walks over to him and takes his face in his hands, "My boy…"

"Papa…" Pinocchio looks at his father before they hug, "Oh Papa… I'm sorry."

"It's okay, my boy." Geppetto says.

"No… It's not. Papa, I failed you… I failed everyone. I didn't look after her…"

"Pinocchio." Geppetto has a smooth command to his voice, "It's okay. The spell still broke. We still know each other, no?" August takes a timid minute to think before he nods, "We need to figure out what is happening, my boy. Okay? One thing at a time."

"Alright, Papa."

~0~0~0~0~0~

Kathryn is walking out of the grocery store when she feels it. She thought it odd that she didn't lose control of the cart, nor that anyone around her seemed phased. She looked around at the few people that were around her.

"Did you feel that?" She heard a man behind her ask.

She turns around and it hits her like lightning. They fall into each other and she pulls back just enough to see him, to touch his face, to understand that it's really him, "Frederick?" She whispers. He does nothing but lean in and kiss her, "Oh Frederick." She says as they hold each other so close.

"Abigail." He says, "I don't ever want to lose you again."

"No." She kisses him again, "But wait…" She looks around and sees the stares and gawking, "Frederick… not everyone knows…"

Frederick begins to look around as well, "So they don't… Maybe Kathryn and Patrick start dating, then?" He asks.

Abigail nods, "Would Patrick like Kathryn to make him dinner?"

"I think that he would think that would be swell." Frederick leans in and kisses her once more.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Mr. Gold knows exactly what is going on when he feels the shake. He too thinks that everyone would begin to run frantically yelling 'off with her head' trying to find her, but alas! there is nothing. He walks around his shop and sees nothing has fallen, and nothing is out of place. He walks out to the sidewalk and turns to the center of town. He sees two figures curled into each other under the soft light of the gazebo. He knows then what exactly is happening. The spell is now working on a need to know basis first and everyone else after.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Belle lifts her head and looks around her padded cell. She gets up and walks to the door, "Hello?" She calls, "Can anyone hear me?" no one answers. "Did anyone feel that? Hello?"

"I did." The voice is masculine and comforting in a way.

"Who's out there?" She asks as she looks through the small window, "Who are you?" The man leans against the wall and shuts his eyes tightly, "Are you okay?" She asks.

"I'm fine." He says in an accent, subtly different from just before, then stares at her before she begins to squint as well. "What is your name?" He asks her.

She doesn't know why, but she feels she can trust this man, "Belle. What's yours?"

"I… I am the Genie of Agrabah. Here though. Here it's Sidney." He says as he looks through his keys.

"What are you doing?" She asks him.

"I don't like being trapped, and Belle, I would say that you are." He looks at her, "Now… there are things that I cannot let you do, but for right now, I can give you a better place to live than here. You have to listen to me first though."

"Of course, yes. What?" She asks as she stares at the keys in his hand.

"Rumplestilskin is an evil man. You are able to look passed it somehow and love him, but he CANNOT know you are alive until the final battle has begun. That will happen soon."

"How do you know this?"

"I am the Genie of Agrabah… I am also the Queen's mirror."

"The magic one? The one she sees through?"

"Yes." He pauses, "You and I, we're not so different. We've been trapped basically our whole lives. We've fallen in love with evil. For you; he loved you back. For me… I accidentally trapped myself in a mirror."

"Then why can't I see him if you know how much I want to?"

The genie looks at her seriously, "Let's just say it would be very, very bad… You need to know that the queen is going to let you go."

"She is?"

"She has found love. She is no longer evil. She is going to let everyone go…"

"How do you know?"

"I am the mirror… I see everything." He says aloofly.

"So, I can't go anywhere, but I can leave here?"

"I'm going to take you to a safe place. As long as you don't leave, you will stay safe. If you try to leave, I will know." Belle starts to protest, "It's only for a little while longer, I promise. Then you can run and find him… I'll even take you to him myself… or the Queen might. Can you do this? Can you stay there?"

"Yes."

"Let's go." He opens the door and is pleasantly surprised when she doesn't try to run.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Mary Margaret and David are cuddled on Mary Margaret's couch watching _Sydney White_, a personal favorite of Mary Margaret's despite the fact that it is aimed for a tween audience. They feel it.

"Was that an earthquake?" Mary Margaret asks.

David gets up and looks around, "I don't think so. Everything seems fine. There's a guy out there smoking a cigarette like nothing happened…" He says with a shake of his head as he turns back around to see Mary Margaret looking at him with misty, familiar eyes. "Snow." He whispers after a moment.

"Charming." Snow quickly jumps from the couch and into his arms.

"This means that Emma is…" He starts then comes to a realization, "Emma…"

~0~0~0~0~0~

Archie is listening to Henry prattle on about the episode of _Friends_ he wasn't supposed to watch, but Emma let him. He listens as Henry talks about how well his mothers are getting along. How in love they are. He listens for it and listens for it, but Henry has yet to talk about the curse. He hasn't in over six months… over eight actually. He begins to wonder why that is. They then feel it.

Henry's eyes widen and he stares quietly at Archie.

"Henry?" He looks up at the twelve year old.

"Yes Archie?"

"Why haven't you talked about the curse?"

"What do you mean?"

"You haven't talked about it with me in over eight months…"

"Maybe I'm getting better? I mean… this is my last session…"

"Do you still believe in it?"

"Why?"

"Because Henry… I believe in it."

Henry's eyes lit up, "You remember?"

"Yes Henry." He says quietly, "Your mother—"

"Is not the bad guy."

"Excuse me?"

"She's not the bad guy. She's not evil. She's good. It's Rumple. He's the bad guy!" Henry says quickly, "Emma saved my mom, Jiminy… She saved her. That's why the curse is breaking!"

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma and Regina are still on their knees after a few moments, "What do you think that was?" Emma asks.

"I know it was the curse… breaking… I just don't know how…." She says.

Emma gets up and helps Regina up as well. They sit on the bench again, "Well. Let's just wait and find out." Emma says as she wraps her arms around her fiancée.

"Just wait and find out…" Regina agrees with more than a hint of worry in her tone.

Emma leans down and kisses her, "Love you."

"I love you." Regina responds during the kiss.

As they break apart, they see the door to Archie's office open and Henry start to run over to them, "Mom! Emma!" He crashes into them and Jiminy is hot on his heals. "He remembers!" He tries to contain his excitement as best he can, "Archie remembers!"

"He does?" Regina looks at him.

"Yes, your majesty, I do… But Henry tells me that the tables have turned and that's why the curse is breaking…"

"In confidence?" Regina asks.

"Of course."

"You better believe the tables have turned… Now we got me and Regina here on the good side… shit's gonna get real for Gold." Emma says matter-of-factly and looks at Regina, "What? It is…" She shrugs.

Regina shakes her head and looks at Jiminy, "You heard the savior…" She says.

Jiminy looks at the three of them, "And we don't know who knows yet… So no one is going to say anything to anyone?"

"That was going to be my one request of you…? Just until we know who knows…" Regina says.

"Yes of course, Your Majesty." Jiminy nods, "Well, I'm going to head home and pray that I don't become a grasshopper quite yet. I'd hate to be squashed in this land…" He jokes before he moves passed the family and into the night with his umbrella.

"Who all do you think knows?" Emma asks.

"I have no idea… it can't be everyone… there's no mob of fire and pitchforks…" Regina concludes knowing that when everyone does find out, that is what is going to happen.

Emma sees this in her eyes and takes her by the scruff of her neck, bringing her in for a mind-numbing kiss, hoping that her thoughts wouldn't get the best of her.

**AN: Read and Review, please!**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: I don't know what to do with myself! I got this chapter up before tomorrow! Mini one-woman wave in celebration of me! A-woo-hoo (as I throw my hands up in the classic stadium wave way)! Again, I will be trying to post before next Sunday! Sometime next weekend probably, unless I find time during the week!**

Snow and Charming…err, Mary Margaret and David are sitting in Granny's. The two have been silent the entire time aside from when they ordered.

"What are we going to do?" She asks.

He looks at her, "I don't know…"

"Well… We have to tell her. She _has_ to know…" The pixie-cut woman looks out the window. She gasps slightly as she sees her fully-grown daughter with a blanket in hand.

"I know she does darling, but…" He looks up to his wife and then looks to see what she is so invested in. He sighs as he watches Emma spread the blanket out on the ground and settle down. "Lets go talk to her…" He says as he places money on the table and moves to stand.

"Yeah?" Snow looks up at him, telling him how much she loves him in her stare.

"Yes, of course. But, dear, I don't think we should just walk over there and tell her… I think we need to ease her into it… I mean, you know her; you know how she will react…" Charming says seriously as he took Snow's hand and they start to make their way out of the diner.

As they step out, they both notice Emma's features light up and her stare fixed in a certain direction. They both look in that direction and find Regina walking toward their daughter with a picnic basket in one hand and Henry… their grandson in the other. They watch on with wonder as the scene unfolds before them.

Henry and Regina quickly cross the street, avoiding the one car actually moving through town at the moment, "Emma! Mom made apple turnovers! I love apple turnovers!" Henry says as he lets go of Regina's hand and falls into the blanket with a flourish, showing them just how much he loves apple turnovers.

Emma laughs, "Did she now?" the blonde looks up at the brunette and stares into her deep brown eyes.

"Yes." Regina gives Emma a wink, "Only because someone begged and begged this morning…" Regina says, taking off her heels, obviously blaming one of the other two already on the blanket.

"I only asked after you started making the crust!" Henry defends himself.

"I know Henry," Regina smiles as she gets down on her knees and begins digging into the basket, bringing out their lunch. She turns her head and looks pointedly at the woman behind her with a raised brow and a happy smirk, "I wasn't talking about you…"

Henry laughs a little, "Emma!"

"What?" Emma looks over to him and watches as he starts to help his mother… and begin eating a little himself, "I love apple turnovers too!" She then grins as she grabs Regina's hips and pulls the brunette down into the space between her legs and kisses her cheek, "Only thing I love more than eating them is watching you make them…" She speaks quietly so Henry doesn't have to hear it. She probably could have spoken at normal volume seeing as the kid was already enveloped with his food.

"Oh yeah?" Regina asks as she leans back and looks into her fiancée's face.

"Mmm," Emma nods, "Wish I could have been there, but I have to work on Saturdays because the Mayor of this town is cruel."

Regina laughs, "I'll keep that comment in mind…tonight…" She laughs once more at Emma's pout, "It's only a half day today honey. You're already done…"

"Yes, but it's a half day I could have been with you and the kid…" They both look over to Henry, who is double fisting sandwiches.

They both laugh at him, "Believe me, you didn't miss much… except for me slapping our growing son's hands away from the picnic food all morning…" Regina sits forward and grabs a sandwich for herself and Emma before Henry could get to them. She unwraps one and gives it to Emma before unwrapping her own. She waits for Emma to settle with one arm propped on a bent leg—to make it easier to hold the sandwich she would tell them—before she leans back against the blonde's chest once more.

"And you making the picnic food all morning…" Emma says as she kisses her fiancée's temple before taking a bite, "Which is divine as always…" She then looks at the brunette's cheek and kisses it before whispering in her ear, "Did you really spend the time to make all this?" Emma asks her with an obvious grin in her voice.

"Why Sherriff…" Regina starts with a grin of her own, "Whatever are you implying?"

"I'm implying that my fiancée's a badass magical witch and can snap her fingers to make a feast…" Emma smirks at Regina's reaction.

Regina grins and looks at the blonde then over to Henry, who has started listening again, "I… made it all from scratch…" She says, "I took the time to cook, I just didn't feel like going to the grocery store this morning…"

Henry laughs, "So you snapped your fingers and everything you needed appeared on our counter…"

Regina's only response is to grin and take a bite of her sandwich.

Snow White can't really handle all of this. She can't hear a word that any of them have said, but the fact that her archenemy is leaning against her daughter, laughing, smiling and being all around… merry… She can't handle it. She tugs on James' coat, "James… she must know. She can't be around _that_ woman!"

James nods and pulls her along, "Remember… Henry will know who we are. We have to be Mary Margaret and David." He looks to his wife and Snow nods.

They walk over to Emma, Regina and Henry. James doesn't know how to approach them really and Snow is even more lost than he. The three of them are laughing and obviously enjoying each other's company… the perfect Kodak moment of a family. Emma and Regina see them approach. Henry turns around to see what they are looking at.

"Hey David." Emma starts.

"Hello David." Regina nods her head at him as she sits forward and begins digging into the basket, "We were just settling in for lunch. Would you like to join us? Mary Margaret is of course welcome as well." Regina looks up and passed David.

James eyes her warily and steps in between Regina's line of vision to Snow, "No, it's okay. We just ate. Thank you though." He looks at Emma, "Emma could I talk to you sometime? It's kind of important and I'd like it to be private…"

James is looking at Emma, trying to see everything that he's missed out on. Emma, on the other hand finds his stare a little odd, she can't help but squint her eyes a little, "Sure David…I'll uh..I'll call you when we're all done here and I'll meet you at the station?" She asks.

He nods and walks back to Snow, who is looking at her funny too…it looks like she has misty eyes.

Regina then gasps in realization as the couple leaves, "Oh my gods…" She whispers out.

Henry and Emma both look at her expectantly, "What the duece?" Henry stares at his mother.

Regina and Emma both look at him, "No more adult cartoons, kid." Emma says.

Henry gives her a puzzled look, "Birdman is an adult cartoon?"

"Birdman? Where the hell'd you get your hands on Birdman?" Emma's brows are raised.

"The Timmy." Henry gives her a cheeky grin.

Emma smirks and starts laughing. Regina looks confused, "I seem to fail to understand the joke… What's the Timmy?"

Emma leans in and kisses her cheek, "It's the Internet, _Dear_… Your son and fiancée come up with inside jokes when you fail to watch cartoons with them…the best come from The Fairly OddParents." Regina gives Emma a look and Emma's only response is to peck her then kiss her full on for a moment, thoroughly disgusting their son.

"Oh for the love…" Henry trails off as he falls back and covers his eyes to get away from the mushy pair.

"Henry, what is so wrong with your mothers loving each other?" Emma asks with a sarcastic roll of her eyes, "I mean… it's better than throwing each other into buildings and beating the living crap out of each other… Right?"

Regina's 'mom' tone came out to scold, "Honey…"

"I'm sorry; I'm just saying…" Emma grins and kisses her temple again.

Regina rolls her eyes and they finish their lunch in a calm silence. As they begin to pack up, Emma decides to call David and tell him that she can now meet them at the station. She stands and stretches as she's on the phone.

Regina and Henry have the basket packed, and the only thing left is to fold the blanket, "Henry, will you please fold this for me? I need to talk to Emma."

Henry knits his brows, but nods anyways, "Sure Mom."

Regina stands and rubs Emma's exposed hip for a moment, getting the blonde's attention. She looks in her eyes, telling her that she needs to talk to her and pulls her by their now linked fingers out of hearing distance from their son.

"Okay David, I'll see you and Mary Margaret there in like, 10 minutes?... Alright… See ya." She hangs up her phone, "What, baby?"

"They know…"

"Okay…" Emma looks at her confused, "They know what?"

"Emma…they know…they've got their memories back…"

Emma looks at Regina with realization, "Alright. Don't worry. I'll figure it out…" She takes the brunette's face in her hands and kisses her, "Alright?" Regina looks at her unsure, so Emma pulls her in and kisses her again, "I'll figure it out."

"Alright." Regina nods.

"I'll figure it out." Emma says again, making sure that she's getting it through Regina's head, as they walk back over to Henry. "Come on, kid… Let's all walk me back to the station so I can finish up there before I head home."

"Alright." Henry tosses the folded blanket in the basket and follows his mothers to the station. He knows that something is going on, but he's not sure what.

When they get to the outer office, they see that David and Mary Margaret are already there. Emma gives Regina one last look and a lingering kiss. "Hey Henry…?" She looks over to him seriously.

"Yeah?" He's looking between David and Mary Margaret and his mother's before settling just on the mother speaking to him.

Emma leans down, "Protect your mom on the walk home… actually until I get home, alright?" She speaks quietly so not even Regina can hear her.

Henry catches on immediately. He remembers their talk from a couple months before, "Emma, you don't think…"

"No, kid… I know." Emma stares at him, "So protect her." She stands up and pats him on the shoulder then ruffles his hair, "Alright?" She says loud enough for the rest of them to hear.

"Alright." He says bravely.

Henry takes Regina's hand and leads her out confidently. Regina glances back at Emma surprised by their son's behavior, but doesn't have time to ask about it as the door shuts.

James and Snow look at each other after Regina and Henry leave, then back to Emma.

Emma stares at them, deciding which way she wants to do this. She can see the clear hate in their eyes for Regina and she doesn't want to hear it… So, after leading them to her office, she shuts the door and says, "I know what you're going to say, and you can save it."

Snow and James both cock their heads in the same fashion, "Are you sure you know what we're going to say?" Snow asks with raised brows.

Emma just crosses her arms and leans against the closed door of the office and she locks it, "I'm pretty positive I do, but go ahead, I'll tell you when to stop." She knows, thanks to her fiancée's wicked deduction skills, that they both want to tell her who they are…she also knows that they are going to tell her to stay away from Regina and to take Henry from her as well…this is the part she's going to stop them at.

"Emma…" Snow looks at her with those sad motherly eyes, "I don't want you to think that we've gone crazy…because two people can't randomly get memories back that they both didn't know they had."

Emma nods understandingly, "I'll believe more than you think I will… I promise."

James and Snow look at each other then back to her once more, "Emma… We're… You know Henry's curse?" James asks.

Emma nods, "Yes, that one I am very familiar with." She laughs at just how much she's seen lately.

James continues, "It was real. It was Regina who cursed us all here. And, we… we did send you to this world to save us… And, instead, you've…" Snow puts her hand over James's arm after he gestures lamely to Emma.

"I've fallen in love with your archenemy." Emma says, no emotion. She rounds the office to sit in her chair and places her hands on her desk, "And this is the part where I again say, 'I know what you're going to say.'" Emma can see the two of them… her parents begin to talk, but continues, "But this time, I don't let you talk." She pauses to let them try to talk anyways, but when neither actually says anything, she again, continues, "I know all of this. I know what you think this means, what you think my being with Regina means. You both think it's going to end in tragedy like some fucking Greek play or something… Well, it's not."

"Emma you don't know the evil that lurks inside her. You don't know the power of which she's capable."

"No, Mary—Mom… You don't know the power of which _I _am capable. I'm going to say this to you both once, so I do hope you're listening…" They both stare at her wide-eyed with undivided attention, "I am in love with a person you dubbed evil. She's not evil. She just… _feels_. She feels so deeply that she tries to hide her emotions. She started hiding behind hard-ass, then… After all the shit went down, she hid behind her want for revenge… Except she realized she didn't want revenge, but it was already too late. She wallowed, and found herself just as lost as you. That's why she adopted Henry. She wanted something or somebody to _mean_ something to her. Then… I came along and the clock started ticking and… we fell in love, and she _finally_ fucking has that happiness. I'll be damned if I let the same motive for revenge take that from her."

They both try to interrupt her, "NO! No, you two are listening to your daughter right now…" She waits for them to try to interrupt her again, "Bare in mind that if you succeed in taking her happiness, then you effectively take not only my happiness, but my life from me." They stare at her, a bit shell-shocked. She looks between them, "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to see if there is anyone else that remembers or if it's just my parents." She turns to leave.

"Emma!" Emma turns to Snow, "We just… we…"

"I want a relationship with you all too." Emma gives them a sincere look, "But I'm not going to give up Regina for you or vice versa. Regina knows that. She's known that since before she told me… She's uh," Emma smiles. She gestures to herself cockily, "She's seen the error of her ways, and just wants to reunite the baby and the parents she took from it..from me. That's the basis of why she told me… so that I could finally know who my parents are… Does that sound evil to you?" She turns and walks away.

**AN: Please Read and Review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: Thank you so much for all your lovely reviews. I'm sorry! I know I said before today… but at least I got it by today! I know that a lot of you are wanting Snow and Regina… this is not that chapter… I'm sorry… It **_**will**_** be the next chapter though… This is strictly more set up for later events… I think… I just write what my mind tells me to, haha!**

Emma stalks out of the station after ushering her parents out so she can lock up. She walks into the diner and Ruby looks up from wiping the counter off to give her a curious look.

Emma gives her one right back; she can already tell that her brunette friend has got a bad case of 'Oh shit! I'm a Fairytale Character'. She can especially tell that's the case because as Ruby stares, her eyes grow wide and she obviously believes she knows _who_ Emma really is.

"Granny…?" Ruby is still looking at Emma with those big wide eyes.

"What Re—Ruby?" Granny comes around the corner and stands next to Ruby. She looks in the direction her granddaughter is and gasps and holds Ruby's forearm to keep her balance.

Emma approaches the counter. She leans forward, "I assume it's safe to say that the both of you felt the jolt last night?" They both nod, "And you secretly are having more and more memories of a past life or another life?" They look off to the side again, "To answer your question…yes, I'm…her."

"Emma… The Mayor—she—!" Ruby starts but stops once Emma turns away from her without a second glance until she actually reaches for the knob.

She turns with a certain fire in her eyes—a warning for Ruby and her grandmother that they both receive loud and clear… despite how hesitant they are to actually abide to this warning.

"You'll call me if you hear of anyone else of the same… condition?" Emma can't think of a better word for it.

Ruby gives her almost a sad smile, "Emma…." She trails off.

Emma stops and tries to not clench up, "Yeah?" Ruby realizes that she has no right to but in… she realizes just how serious that look she got just seconds before really was, "We'll call you."

Emma nods and opens the door. She walks out of Granny's to bump into Sean and Ashley and Alexandra.

"Emma!" They both say at the same time.

"Hey guys…" She greets them.

Sean steps forward and looks at her with a certain…memorization. It wasn't quite the look she received from her parents, and it wasn't the same she received from Ruby or Granny… but it was _the look_. He leaned in quietly, "Listen, um… Have Mary Margaret or David seen you yet today?"

"Yes they have…"

"Did they seem different?"

Emma rolled her eyes, "Why yes _Thomas_ they did." They both stepped back in surprise, "Yeah, I know who you are…" She spoke quietly and smiled at some random passerby.

"Emma, if you know who we are, then you must know who the May—"

"Good Lord, how many times am I going to have to do this today?" She looked up at the sky then back to them, "Listen… I appreciate you apprehension and your wanting to protect your friends' kid, I really do… but it's not needed… and it sure as hell isn't wanted… I'm a big girl now, I can take care of myself. And quite frankly you have no idea what you're talking about…"

"Down! Down!" Alexandra began wiggling in her mother's arms. Once she was put down she started weaving through her father's leg.

Emma smiles at the kid… it makes her regret even more giving Henry up, but if she hadn't, she would never have ended up here… She shakes her head of the thought and squats down to look at the three-year-old running in circles around her dad's legs.

The three year old looks at her with big eyes and smiles her toddler smile, "Hi!" She waves happily.

"Hi." Emma says, "Are you and mommy and daddy going to eat lunch?" She asks.

"Uh huh!" Alexandra claps her hands.

Emma gestures for the little one to come close to her. She takes a bill out of her back pocket and tucks it into the center pocket—not so discreetly—of her overalls. She then stage whispers to the little nugget, "Make sure to get dessert, on me, okay?"

The toddler jumps up and down and hugs her. "Dank you!"

"You're welcome little princess." With that she stands up and walks on.

Leroy is walking towards Granny's as well. He heard the tail end of the conversation, "She's not the only princess, you know?" He stares at her then shakes his head, when Emma gives him a curious look, "Never mind." He shakes his head, "I shouldn't have said anything." She nods and continues on.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Regina had told Henry that she needed to stop by City Hall to get together some paperwork that needed to be done Monday morning. Mallory had been there—the girl had requested a six day week when she applied for the job, and Regina was only too happy to oblige seeing that things would actually get done for once.

Henry had pulled his iPod out and was listening to music on her couch. He had refused to leave his mother's side and she found that quite endearing and lovely considering their past… He, like Emma—because of Emma, had forgiven her for the entirety of her past before him and before his biological mother… and now he wanted nothing but to protect her. She smiled genuinely as she saw his feet stretch on the arm of the couch and begin bouncing in time to whatever he was listening to.

"Madam Mayor?" The phone on her desk buzzed in and spoke.

"Yes Mallory?"

"Sidney Glass is here to see you…"

Regina is puzzled for a moment. The last time she spoke with him was when she was trying to dig up dirt on Emma. She's left him and the _Daily Mirror_ alone ever since.

"Uhh, yes, send him in." She straightens the files on her desk quickly to have her desk look more presentable.

Sidney enters and shuts the door, waiting for Mallory to get back to her desk. He walks over to Regina then bows, "My Queen." He says.

_Oh well, no use hiding it if he knows_. She thinks before she nods her head in the way she used to do to greet her guests at hearings or parties or any other kind of event she hosted.

Henry shoots up from the couch looking at Sidney… had he heard him right? Sidney sees him and is a bit startled. He wastes no time as he bows to him as well, "Master Henry."

"Master..Henry?" The new teen asks as he looks at his mother.

"That is what you will be called… that or 'my prince'…" She smiles over to him.

"Cool." He nods and lays his head back down, disappearing once more, but keeping his music off so he can listen.

Regina turns back to the other man in the room, "Genie… what can I do for you?"

"This is more of what I have done already for you…" Regina tilts her head and raises a brow, "Belle." He says quietly.

"Yes?" Regina stands up and walks around her desk to lean against the front. She crosses her arms, "I've been planning to let her go… but I don't know how without Rumple…" She speaks quietly.

"I've already got her out. She's in a safe house of mine. No one knows about it."

"Genie… why are you doing this?" She asks.

"Because even though you do not love me, you have finally understood love. You are as pure as I thought your heart when I first met you. You are the woman I fell in love with, and even though I cannot be with you, I wish you all the best and will do everything in my power to help you."

"Thank you Genie…" She leans in and hugs him, "You know that if for some reason and in some way you get sent back into the mirrors I am going to work until I get you out…"

"I know my Queen…" before she can ask how, he says, "I am the mirror… I see everything." He bows once more then walks out of the office.

Henry sits back up, "That was kind of cool… He's in love with you, which is weird… and I really want to be there when Emma finds out…"

"Henry!" Regina swatted his arm and rolled her eyes at the prospect of Emma's suspicions being correct, "We shall see…"

"Fine…" He says as he stands, "Oh Mom? Can we stop by school before we go home? I forgot my math book…" He says sheepishly.

"You're just lucky that the school is open on Saturdays for extra curricular practices…" She shakes her head, "Come on… I can finish this all on Monday."

Henry nods and they make their way out to the car and over to the school, "I'll be right back Mom! I swear!" He then makes his way quickly inside the school.

Regina sees Abigail waiting outside for something as well and walks over to her, "Kathryn, hello." She smiles at her friend.

Abigail sees her, and Regina can see the fear in her eyes. She tries to mask it as best she can at first, "Regina. What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same of you… Henry forgot a book so we stopped by knowing the school would be open…"

"Oh right… Yes… I um… I'm dating Patrick… He's the school's gym teacher." She speaks stiffly.

Regina can't help the smile that appears on her face, _So you found each other…_ Normally she would have been appalled… now she was just happy for her friend, "Ah, I see. You've moved on from David. I'm happy for you." Regina speaks genuinely.

Abigail is gob-smacked, "Really?"

"Yes, Kathryn, you're my friend… Why wouldn't I be happy that you're happy?"

"Friend?" Kathryn is clearly uncomfortable.

Regina steps closer, "Okay, I understand that I am allegedly the bad guy. That I'm the villain everyone needs to worry about… I am telling you _Abigail_…" She whispers the word out so only the blonde can hear it, "I am not evil anymore. I know that there is no reason for you to believe me, but I'm not. I have found what everyone took away from me. I am doing my damndest to be happy. I have given everyone back their heart including your father. I am making amends. If you don't believe look at my son when he comes out of there. You've seen him when he thought I was evil…"

"How do I know you don't have your magic back and you've cast a spell on him you evil witch?"

"Because unlike Rum… Mr. Gold, I never acquired a spell or potion for true love. Everyone knows that he is the only being that ever created that. My son loves me. As does the savior. Don't you see? That's why the spell is breaking… I'm becoming—I am good. Rectifying my wrongs as best as I can." With this last statement the doors open.

Henry runs out of the school, book in hand, "Mom!" He says and runs into her embrace… something he never would have done two years ago, but now is all too happy to do it… it was actually because he needed to tell her something really, really important as well as thank her silently for taking him back to school to get his book, "Guess what! I think—" He stops mid sentence noticing someone else is around. "Hello Kathryn."

"Hello Henry." Kathryn says.

Henry can see it clear as glass; she fears his mother… the only person that ever called her friend fears her now.

"Come on Henry, let's let Kathryn be." Regina ushers him to her car.

He follows then runs back over to the blonde, "She's not evil." Henry says. Abigail whips around and stares at him. He whispers, "Abigail, she's not evil…" His determination is clear. The only thing Abigail can do is nod as she watched him run back and get in the passenger seat of the Mayor's car.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma had to see about August and Marco… she had to see if they too were going to tell her that she shouldn't be with Regina as well… although she'd made it pretty damn clear to Aug—Pinocchio throughout his coming here and her believing that she and Regina were going to break the curse together… She shakes her head as she walks into the shop where both men are working.

"Hey guys." She announces her presence while there are no power tools running.

Marco looks up. He smiles that cute little older man smile of his and walked over to her, "Hello, Emma." He hugs her.

"Hi Marco…" She smiles back and looks over to Pinocchio, "I was just dropping by to see how things were… I had a couple complaints of people thinking they felt a rumble last night…" She looks back to Marco, "You guys feel anything?"

Marco looks at her suspiciously. He realizes why only a few people felt it… well he doesn't know why it's only a few, but he knows from the look in her eyes that only the people that felt it remembered, "My dear princess, please…" He starts then bows low to her, "I am Geppetto, toymaker."

Emma stood stalk still and stared… she was a little freaked out by that, "Is this what people are going to start doing to me when they remember? I don't know how I feel about being bowed to…" She picks him up, "Please don't…" She shakes her head, "Though it is very nice to meet you…for real…"

"You know why it is just now we are meeting, 'for real'..?" Geppetto asks.

Emma sighs, "Yes I do. But it doesn't mean anything because the fact of the matter is, we are meeting for real now… not another 28 years from now…" She looks over to Pinocchio and turns to leave, "There are only a few people that felt the rumble last night… so I would keep your real selves on the down low and out of sight… wouldn't want the wrong person to find out you remember…" She calls as she goes to her bug and drives back to the mansion.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Henry is in the kitchen working on his forgotten math homework when Emma walks in, "Kid where's your mom?"

"The batcave…" Henry looked over to Emma, obviously 'thrilled'—quoted with all the sarcasm in the world—that she's reverted back to hiding in her study.

"The batcave…?" Emma sighs as Henry nods, "Are you sure she's not in Superman's ice fortress?" She waves an arm to the backdoor signaling the shed.

"Batcave…" Henry mimics her sigh.

"Awesome…" Emma walks into the study, "Hello pretty lady."

Emma walks around to face Regina who didn't turn her chair around. She sees Regina's face, "Who all knows?" She asks as she sees just how prominent Regina's thought lines are.

"Archie obviously, err…Jiminy I guess now... Kathryn..Abigail, therefore Frederick—They've found each other," Regina looks up at Emma with a ghost of a smile despite her sadness at Abigail hating and fearing her again, "… I know Gold knows… but he's known since the beginning—you knew that."

"Yes." Emma can't help the smile that graces her face because the secretive woman before her has literally told her everything she can as she tries to remember all of her wrong doings… Which is why Emma loves her so. Regina has that look in her eye though, "What?"

"Sidney knows too."

"Am I supposed to be surprised by that?"

"No, but… You should know that he told me he was in love with me still, but knows he can never have me so you can't do anything, dear…" She grins at Emma's reaction, "Henry heard him and I'm sure he'll want to see that face as well…"

Emma's angry badger face went away as she saw the amusement in her fiancée's eyes fade and turn serious once more, "What did he come to see you for?"

Regina squinted as she stared out at the yard, then looked up at Emma, "You remember how I told you that Belle was still alive?"

"Yes." Regina turns from her, "Regina. Where is she?" She kneels down and turns the desk chair towards her so Regina has no choice but to face her, "Baby?"

"She was in a rubber room…" Regina looks like she's about to throw up.

"You made her crazy?" Emma is shocked. She then sees the gag reflex begin, so she stands up and picks Regina up. She takes her out of the study and gets her to the bathroom just as Regina begins to see the last like 35 meals she's had, "There it is… Oh gross, okay Honey…" Emma tries to sooth her as she rubs her back, "Baby, we'll get through this."

"Are you sure?" Regina says just before she loses it again.

"I'm the savior aren't I?" She gives Regina a cocky, cheeky smile, "We'll get through anything…we have that power when we're a 'we' I do know that." She leans in and kisses her cheek, "I love you."

"I love you too." Regina says.

Emma sighs against Regina's cheek, "You smell like vomit." She chuckles at Regina's look, then sobers as she looks at her, "When we go back…"

"She gets everything and more, believe me, you, me and Rumple will make sure of it. It would be one thing we can agree on."

The brunette looks off to the side. She is still very concerned with the whole thing; with all of her evil-ness… it's going to bit her in the ass… and that will be the least of her worries, she knows that.

"Think of it this way…" Emma says, interrupting her thoughts of impending doom, "At least you told me basically everything a way long time ago. At least you didn't wait for this, _then_ confirm it… Do you know how fucking mad I'd be if you had done that? I wouldn't know if you really had changed or not…I would be confused and pissed… and that's not a good combo!"

Regina laughs and nods, "Yes. You would be seeking hell to say the least."

"See? It's much better when I'm on your side…" They lean in to kiss but Emma moves to Regina's neck, "You still smell like vomit." She says.

She kisses her neckline to her cheek "Oh gah! Moms!" Henry has come into the study, "Why do you have to do that all the time?"

Emma gives him a smirk, "'Cause we can't help it… We're in luuuuve." She lets out the last word with a goofy tone.

Henry shakes his head with a smile, "Did mom tell you about Sidney?"

Emma turns and stares sharply at him, "Yes she told me about Sidney and how he's in luuuve with your mother too!"

Henry laughs before he realizes the previous tension in the room and turns serious, "How much trouble are we in? How many people remember?"

Emma looks to Regina then back to him, "Honestly? I don't know. But I can tell you that we're not in any trouble via my family's side of the curse." They both look at her, "I took care of it." She shrugs.

"What did you say to your parents?" Henry moves into the room more.

Emma looks over to Regina for help avoiding, but Regina has taken to brushing her teeth, "No, I want to know just as much as he does." She says through a foamy mouth.

Emma rolls her eyes and sighs, "I simply told them that if they seek revenge on her," She turns to Regina from looking at Henry, "And if they destroy you…they destroy me. Their baby girl, their daughter, their long lost love…" She takes Regina's face in her hand, "Then they would ultimately lose…as would everyone else."

**Read and Review, please!**


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: Here you go… Hope you enjoy!... This chapter wasn't as thought out as the rest of them have been, so please, as always, let me know what you think!**

Regina looks down at her phone. Twenty minutes she's been sitting with Belle and for twenty minutes they have said nothing. Regina didn't know how to start, and Belle was _not_ going to do anything to encourage her… the least she could give the woman is a little awkwardness after all the shit she's been through.

Regina thought about everything she wanted to say. She thought about everything she's been doing and wondered if she should even throw that stuff in… the stuff like trying to prove that she's really changed and it's all because of Emma…to every single person close with her blonde fiancée… and how the only person that believed her was Jiminy Cricket. She knew that that would mean nothing to Belle so she sat there with a loss of how to get started.

Brown eyes look up to blue. Regina huffs one final sigh and purses her lips tight. She stares at Belle for another full minute before she finally talks, "I'm sorry." It's the only thing she can say that is complete truth.

"Great… We can all move on and go home now." Belle starts sarcastically. She moves to stand up then begins pacing, "Oh, wait! No we can't because you cast a curse on everyone and sent us all here! And you sent me to live as a crazy person!"

Regina nodded, "Yes. I know… but—"

"But what? What could you possibly say or do that could change anything?"

"I'm in love…"

Belle stops her constant movement and stares…glares at the dark-eyed woman, "So. What?"

"So, I'm starting to feel again. I'm starting to realize and understand… Understand what I did to everyone." Regina stands up as well. She doesn't look Belle in the eye, "I don't expect or even want your forgiveness… I don't deserve it. I just came her to tell you that the curse is breaking… And… After the wedding…the vowel ceremony is technically what it is because Emma and I are not legally allowed to marry…" Regina shakes her head, "After the wedding… literally after we exchange vows we are going to come back here and personally take you to him… Because even if everyone thinks you deserve better than Rumpelstilskin, the fact remains that regardless of any other fact, you do deserve love… And you love him."

Regina finally looks back to Belle, "I know it's selfish not letting you out until after, but I guess I still am selfish at my core… I can't risk anything bad happening on that day—not for me… but because my fiancée deserves it… Just like you do. And even though I'm the evil queen and everyone hates me for casting them here… the fact remains that the princess… the savior deserves her happiness and for some unknown reason… I make her happy."

Belle takes all of this in and for a long moment she doesn't speak, "And what happens when I escape this house and find him on my own before the vowel ceremony?"

Regina looks down then back up to her, "Then you're not the person I thought you were… and I will have to figure out a different way for Emma to…" She trails off… she doesn't know what the rest of her sentence would be anyways. She turns and heads for the front door, "I just wanted to apologize… even though I know it's not enough," She turns back to Belle, "I truly am sorry."

"Apology accepted." Belle says once Regina is at the door.

Regina knits her brows and turns around, "Excuse me?"

"I've been in love with the dark one since I met him… I know that there is more to evil than meets the eye… You Regina… you are not evil… not anymore… And if you and the savior can find love… Well that just gives hope to the rest of us." Belle walks to Regina, "I will stay here until your ceremony is over, but if you don't mind, I'd like to find him on my own…"

The only thing Regina can do is nod. She turns once more to leave and walks out to her car. She sits there, in her car, for another half hour before she has the motor skills to move. What alerts her is her phone. She grabs it from the cup holder she put it in and stares at it, "Where are you?" the text reads, "You're really late for a party in your own home? That is so improper, Regina! Haha!" Regina shakes her head with a smile. How could she have lost track of time before their engagement party?

She gets her car in gear and drives home. As she sits in her garage, she decides that she doesn't want to handle the crowd until she's put on her mask and she can't do that until she sees Emma… alone. She grabs her phone and purse and calls her fiancée.

"Hey Baby, where are you?" are the first words Regina hears.

"I'm home… Will you come upstairs… please?"

"Okay, yeah, I'll be right there." Emma says before she hangs up.

Regina turns off her car and puts her keys and phone back in her purse. Then flashes up to her bedroom. Emma is already up there looking around when the smoke begins to spread across the bed. She stares at it with an amazed and intrigued, cocked head. She knows that it's Regina, but it never fails to amaze her that she can do _that_ just whenever she wants to.

As Regina's face appears she can tell that something is wrong, "What is it?"

"I just… I don't get why people that have had constant hardships because of me can forgive me so easily…"

Emma knit her brows, "Uhh… Sweets? My parents and everyone down there still hate you…" When Regina looks up at the blonde she puts out her hands, "No offense… I love you!" She says as she kneels down before her in between her lover's legs so she can hug her middle.

"Belle…" Regina breaks the bout of silence that has overcome them in their embrace, "She forgave me… she accepted my apology…"

Emma pulls back and looks at her, "Just like that?"

Regina nods, "Just like that…"

Emma looks off to the side, "Does she know why you're all nice and shit now?"

"Yes I told her I was sorry because I was in love and I finally understood my actions… in a sense."

Emma grins up at Regina and then pulls her neck down so they can kiss, "I think I can understand why she did it…" She says.

"She said there was more to evil that most people know…"

"Yes, but you're not evil… not anymore…"

"She said that too." Regina looks down at Emma and Emma grins back up at her.

Emma pushes Regina onto the bed further and pushes her on her back, "I love you."

"I love you too."

Emma leans down and kisses her bride-to-be, "You about ready to attend your party?"

"Now, Darling, it's not for me… it's for you… They're not here for me, but to protect you from me…" Regina says in a pillow talk mumble as she strokes Emma's face then keeps a light, loving hold on her upper neck and chin.

Emma uses her version of a pillow talk mumble to respond, "Well, they're not doing a very good job of it seeing as I'm lying on top of you while all of them are downstairs laughing and enjoying the party, not even noticing that the people the party if for aren't there…" Emma lay off to the side of Regina after she kisses her a few more times. She lays her head next to the brunette's and takes her lover in as she turns to stare back at her, "You about ready to go downstairs?"

Regina clearly is troubled with the notion of being with everyone that remembers and most of them hating her. She blinks back as much emotion as she can, trying to put on her mask of indifference, but Emma's eyes are on her and she knows that Emma knows that she is trying to build up walls around her heart again, and temporary though they may be, she knows that Emma wants the people to see who she really is, not a different version of who they think she is…

The brunette takes a ragged breath and closes her eyes. She feels lips on her nose, then her cheek and finally her own lips. She reaches up and keeps Emma's head in place as she locks her fingers through the blonde mane. It is in this moment that they are interrupted.

"Oh good gods!" They hear in almost a slight chuckle.

The two brides spring apart and look at the still open door, "Ruby…" Emma says with a closed mouth smile that tried to hide her own laugh at being caught in the almost throws of passion with her lover. "There something we can do for you?"

Ruby is really looking anywhere but the two women still entangled, although no longer up in each other's business, "Well… your uh… your mom asked me to see if I could find you up here on the second floor because Regina's car was in the garage and she couldn't find you downstairs anywhere… So… I uh… I found you… and Regina there… Hello Madam Mayor…err, Your No-Longer-But-Soon-To-Be-Again Majesty…"

Emma and Regina sat up at this point. Emma's face is buried in Regina's neck as she shakes with silent laughter at Ruby's just… utter awkwardness. Regina does her best to keep herself composed and nods at the other brunette, "Ruby, hello… I am… sorry that you caught us in such a position…"

"No, hey!" Ruby finally looks at the two of them, "I mean… whatever makes Emma happy…" Then at Emma's glare she changes her words, "Whatever makes you guys happy…"

"Thank you Ruby, but I know you don't mean that." Regina stands and snaps her fingers as she walks over to their full-length mirror. Her outfit is instantly changed from that regal-ness of the mayor's dress to something she's been more and more comfortable in again since Emma came into her life… She made the decision mid-snap so she almost surprised herself as well as the other two as a nice pair of beige skinny jeans (she learned well from her fiancée, and from her fiancée's hands always on her ass that the skinny jeans do show her derriere off nicely), boots that were almost like her old riding boots, and a very rich red black and white flannel shirt. She run her fingers through her hair as she looks to the other brunette via the mirror, "And it's okay… If I were you I wouldn't mean it either… I mean, you are right… I'm not a queen anymore… I am nothing more than an.. _evil_ witch…" She finishes fixing her hair to her liking and turns back to the other two women.

Emma walks up to her, "You're not evil."

Regina shakes her head, "No."

Ruby watches them with undivided attention. She's been watching them for quite some time, "You know… Madam Mayor… I don't know why I believe this… maybe it's because I just watched you change into… _that_." Ruby gestures to the mayor's outfit, "Or maybe because I've been a slightly biased but easily persuaded either way third-party member to this whole thing, meaning I've watched you prey on Snow, but I've also watched you love Emma… But if they do… anything 'good' shouldn't, I will quickly remind them what side their on…" Ruby turns and walks a few steps back into the hall to go back downstairs, "Oh, don't take too long… Your mother will come up here when she loses her patience…" She gives the blonde a saucy grin as she continues on her way back to the party.

Emma smirks then turns to Regina, "I think she believes you've changed because of your choice of dress." She says dryly. Regina turns and swats Emma's side, "What? I'm just saying! It's something none of them would have ever seen you wear…"

Emma's obvious prodding led Regina to answer Emma despite her not actually asking anything, "You want me to be myself… to be the self you made me… I wear this kind of thing all the time around here… If they are supposed to know me then I feel I should dress as I please."

Emma nods in satisfaction as her hand slides down to Regina's ass, "I do love it when you wear these pants…"

Regina pulls from her love's embrace, "Oh I know… it's why I wore them…" She winks as she turns and walks downstairs with her head held high.

The party was actually being held in the backyard. Emma had always wanted a family cookout. She never had that growing up and it was one of the few things she really, really wanted. So, Regina decided that a cookout she shall have on their engagement party.

The brunette is not expecting anyone to be in her kitchen as she starts to walk through to the back door. However, she comes face to face with Snow White. They are so close that all Regina can see is fury in the young mother's eyes. She does her best to slip aside, but Snow sidesteps with her, "You're going to try to run away from me?" The usually dainty and elegant brunette spits out in mockery.

"Snow—"

"You don't get to speak… Regina." Snow's anger was the least of Regina's worries as she saw the father of her beloved enter the kitchen as well. James began drawing the curtains of the kitchen windows knowing that some sort of scene was about to break out and not wanting an audience. Regina wanted to use her powers to defend herself… use her words even, but she told herself this had to be done and she would let them do as they please. "You don't get to do anything but listen."

Regina nods; she walks to the table pulls two chairs out then her own as sits down gesturing to both of her parents as well.

"You're really going to sit there and listen?" Snow is waiting for the other shoe to drop. James is standing protectively with his wife; he two is waiting for something. Regina again says nothing; she only nods again and waits for the two of them.

Snow obviously thinks it's a game. She pulls from James and runs around the kitchen table and grabs Regina by the throat, "Do you really think this time around you can out smart me and out play me? I was a child before, Regina… I was twelve years old." She grins as her grip tightens, "This time though, I'm all grown up, and you know what? I'm not falling for any of it. You will not do this to my daughter. I won't let you. Do you understand?" She loosens her grip a little to let Regina say something and when the brown-eyed woman does not reply she squeezes the throat between her fingers, "I said that you do not get to do this to my daughter. You _will_ not sink your teeth any deeper into her. I should put your head on a platter right here and now!"

"Why don't you?" Regina struggles to gasp out. She's turning red… purple actually she's far past red.

"MOM!" Emma's voice carries deafeningly throughout the kitchen. She had taken two minutes to recover from her fiancée's flirting… just a fucking second to cool down so she wouldn't jump her until they went to bed that night and already her parents are trying to kill her lover… and she, of course is already seething. "What the fuck do you think you're doing? What the fuck are you trying to pull? Do you honestly think that you could just… kill her and I wouldn't notice? I sleep with her every night! What… what the fuck?" She wretches her mother's hand from her lover's throat and pushes the younger brunette away as she begins to examine for damage… like she could fix anything if there was damage to be fixed.

"Darling…" Regina pats Emma's arm as she tries to give her exam and is huffing and puffing her way through, "Darling." She tries again and when all Emma does is spit piss and vinegar every which way she can at her parents and herself for leaving Regina alone, Regina finally takes Emma's hands in one of hers and uses the other to grab onto the blonde's chin.

Snow immediately starts to move in to protect her daughter, but Regina's stare stops her.

"Emma… I'm okay…" She stares into the blonde's gray eyes, "I'm fine… this… this has been a long time coming… let it happen."

"No!" Emma glares up lovingly at her fiancée. "I will not let them hurt you like that…" She turns onto her mother, "How dare you even touch her let alone squeeze her fucking neck!" Regina grabs Emma by her back belt loop and pulls her back into a strong hold.

As she hugs her from behind, she looks over to Snow, "I know that you hate me. You have every right to… _everyone_ knows that. I know that this is the worst possible thing I could have ever done to you, and I am so, so sorry it panned out this way for you… but…" She looks off to the side, "In a way… everything I blamed you for… everything I tried to take your life for over and over again… everything I hated you for… everything that was my mother's doing and not yours…" She took a longer pause after that last one, trying to show Snow that she had in fact grown up to be almost as mature as the younger woman…minus the choking slight. "I've gotten back… I've gotten it all back and more… and because of that, I am not the witch you know me to be, but the woman you knew once before. And for that, I only want to repay you… and try to repair the damage I've caused…"

"What a load of bullshit." Snow spits.

James and Emma both raise their eyes at her words. The Mary Margaret Emma knew and the Snow white everyone else does is not the type of person to curse at all.

"You are no better than your mother ever was!" the pixie-cut brunette continued.

Regina hates being compared to that woman. She is nothing like her mother. Her mother was the true evil spirit. She felt her emotions get the better of her… Emma did too. She felt heat begin to rise quickly on her stomach and pulls Regina's hand off just in time for a fireball to form.

"Woah! Hey! Babe!" Emma yelled, "Put it out! Put it out!"

Emma's voice pulls her from her thoughts and she quickly wipes her hand free of the fire. She closes her eyes and shakes her head at herself. She promised herself that she wouldn't let her mother get the better of her ever again, yet here she is about to burn her fiancée and try to do some damage to her lady's mother too.

Emma is about to go after her mother as well, but she is stopped by the woman that was her target, "You have your powers."

"Yes."

"You have your powers and you didn't stop me from hurting you. You wanted me to hurt you." She accuses her ex-stepmother and is about to go on a tantrum, but the woman's voice… soft for once compels her to listen.

"I wanted you to expel your anger from me yes. And if killing me or tearing me down is the way for that to happen, then so be it… As much as you think I don't, the only thing I want out of life at this point is your daughter's happiness… And she wants the three of us to be able to spend time with each other… or at least tolerate each other."

"We will always hate you." James, the voice of reason during his wife's irrationality, says.

"I understand that."

"But… You and Emma have been together for a long time, and if I were David and she was Mary Margaret and the curse wasn't real, we would be encouraging you more than we would work at our own relationship… Once you were happy Madam Mayor, the whole town seemed to spark to a life that it didn't have before… and we all know it was because of our daughter." He took a breath, "The only thing I have ever wanted, and the only thing I have ever fought for from being both a shepherd and then a prince was marrying for love. I never wanted to settle. Obviously Emma… you are much the same way, so seeing that…. And taking everything in, regardless on if I believe it as truth, the facts are you two are happy together, you two love each other and it seems the only thing missing is the future in-law's blessing…. I will give you that from both of us because it is obvious this is the happiest my daughter has been in her life." He stares at Regina throughout most of his speech, but turns to Emma for his next words, "And even though I didn't get to be there for any of the firsts, I will be there for a 'first and only' and I hope that I will be there for the last part of our lives…." He barely got his words out because a sudden sadness came over as he began to think about all the firsts he missed like her first time to hold her head up, her first time to sit up, to push herself into crawling, her first steps, first boo-boo, first heart ache… even her first child he didn't get to see. But he would see her get married for the first and only time. And he would be there to see all of the firsts in that aspect.

The women's eyes are filled with tears at the man's words. Emma is the first to make a move. She walks over to him and hugs him, "Thank you, Dad." She never thought that she would get to call anyone that, but she finally found him. The only thing James did was nod into his daughter's hold and embraced her back.

After they pull apart, James smiles at her, "So how about that cookout?"

Henry and Ruby are playing horseshoes and everyone else invited are all talking and sitting with beers and sodas in hand when the four emerge from the house. The entire backyard silences and Henry drops the final horseshoe in his hand. He immediately runs over to his mom and stands between her and his grandparents protectively without saying a word. Regina wraps her arms around her son and kisses his hair before whispering in his ear that everything is alright and to go finish his game.

He stares at his grandparents then back to his mom then over to Emma. She nods in Ruby's direction, telling him to do what his mom told him to do. She bows his head and runs back.

The cookout goes as best a cookout can after your mother tries to kill your fiancée. Everyone seems to know that something significant happened in that house, but the four parties won't say a thing. The rest of them seem to understand that besides whatever they weren't being told, they are now to accept Regina for who she truly is, which apparently is a woman that likes to wear flannel shirts… Towards the end of the night, as everyone was gathered behind a fire—as per Henry's request—The entire group almost felt a sense of comfort… and that made them all dread the oncoming events.

**AN: I kind of feel like Regina was forgiven a little too much… but in my defense Snow never said a word of forgiveness… However… sometimes too much forgiveness is a build up, a foreshadowing to a disaster… Oh no! What could that mean? Guess we'll just have to find out with coming chapters… I finished plotting it out, and I hope you guys enjoy it!... I will try to post the next chapter before the weekend is through because the next chapter contains the scene that bore this whole story, so I'm getting excited!**

**As always, please Read and Review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: As promised…**

Regina and Emma were fighting again over what the blonde was going to wear. Regina could picture her in a long flowing dress… she knew that her lady love would look ethereal and that she would look the part she was born to be… not the savior, but the princess.

"Babe! I own two dress type things… and one is technically a skort! That's pants and a skirt! And I only got the dress so that I could bring in this one asshole and he freaking threw a table at me!" Seeing Regina's reaction she calms her brunette lover by putting her hands up, "He didn't throw it, he tipped it over to get a head start… And besides it doesn't matter, I bashed his head into a steering wheel anyways…" She shrugged, "All the more reason I shouldn't 'flow' or be flowy or anything like that…"

"But.. Emma…" Regina snapped her fingers, putting Emma in a strapless, flowing, off-white number that grazes the floor when she walks, "You look so beautiful!" The brunette's voice was almost a whine.

Emma stares at her fiancée then looks down then over to the full-length mirror, "You really need to stop doing that." She crosses her arms, "Put me back in my jammies." It is now the blonde's turn to pout, "Babe, this is too much! This is not the Emma everyone knows and.. well quite frankly they adore me too… Now, I said I'd wear a dress, I didn't say that I'd do the whole shebang… like red carpet, pulling out all the stops shebang."

Regina snaps her fingers putting Emma back in her pajamas as she searches her mind for a compromise. She bites her lip as an idea comes to mind, "You remember that dress I wore the night I got my powers back?" Emma quirks a brow in her direction, "Remember how it was from my Fairytale closet?"

"Mm hmm…" Emma nods as she walks the couple feet to the foot of their bed.

Emma starts to crawl on it, but is stopped by Regina, "No! Stay there! I want to put something else on you and see if you like it any better…" She snaps her hands once more.

Emma looks down at the maroon blazer she is sporting only to realize that it flares in the back like a full-length dress. She gives a look of intrigue as she sees her legs clad in black leather. She walks to the mirror and investigates, turning around to see the back, then staring at the front. She pulls her hair back and ties it so it's a messy bun, "I could work with this… just when did you wear this?" She turns and looks at her fiancée.

Regina looks down, "Uhmm… actually I wore it when I stopped your father from losing his head…" She started hopefully then sunk down, "Then I kind of took him into my own prison and tricked your mother into meeting me to eat the apple…"

"What apple?"

"Emma…" Regina looked up at her then let her head fall forward again, "_The…apple…_ The poisoned one."

Emma pursed her lips and looked off to the side, "Well… If we made it… I don't know, 'bridal' I don't think that David—dad—James—whatever he's supposed to be called will recognize it…"

Regina can't help but smile at Emma as the blonde so obviously forgives her. They stare at each other in silent conversation. Regina is apologizing and Emma is accepting and telling her that she saved her dad from death, effectively making it possible for her to be born, and while she did try to kill her mother, the apple really only put her to sleep until her dad came and macked on her to wake her up.

Regina crawls to the edge of the bed, "And just how are we supposed to make it 'bridal'?" She asks as she stands on her knees and waits for Emma to walk over to her.

"Well…" Emma does as Regina wants and puts her hands on the brunette's waist, rubbing up and down her sides, "Maybe if you made the blazer off-white and the leather pants white skinnies and this lacey stuff and the trim white… then…. You know, it'd be…" She trails off.

"Mmmm… okay." Regina snaps her hands once more and they both look down.

"See?" Emma takes a step back and gestures to her entire body, "Bridal." She turns around to show Regina her ass, "And a dress… type… thing…"

Regina smirks as well, "Darling?"

"Hmm?" Emma asks as she walks back over to Regina, "Just… how much did you like that dress on me?"

Emma laughs, "About as much as one can like an inanimate object such as clothing on another person…"

"Sooo…" Regina looks up and to the side, "If I wore this…" She snaps her fingers to reveal the dress in question only a in a crème color, "Instead of what we originally picked…"

Emma stares in awe of her love, "I'm not supposed to see you like that until tomorrow!"

"But isn't it so much better that you did?" Regina laughs as Emma tackles her to the bed, "Now, now, darling! We can't do _that_ the night before the wedding… we're already breaking tradition!" Emma stares down at her with an intensity that only Emma can give. Regina swallows air and licks her suddenly dried out lips, "I think it's time to hang these outfits so they won't wrinkle…"

"Good idea." Emma says, diving down into Regina's neck, feeling her clothes and that of the woman underneath her disappear after a final snap from Regina's fingers.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma is in the kitchen while Regina is getting ready upstairs… once the sun rose, Regina became the traditional antsy bride and had her leave the room until the wedding.

Emma is considering scaling the back porch but knows that Regina will just kick her out again… _However…_ Just as she is about to walk outside, the front door opens to reveal her mother, father, Ruby and Granny. As she looks outside, there were more cars pulling up as well. _So much for that.._ Emma thinks as she lets them all in.

"Oh dear…" Snow says as she puts her hands to her cheeks and takes her daughter in on her wedding day, "This was her doing wasn't it? This is ridiculous; you should be dressed as the princess you are—"

"Hey, hey!" Emma slows her mother down, "I am dressed as the princess I am… Actually _mother_," She almost spat the word, much like a thirteen year old, "This was the compromise we came up with. See, she had the same thinking you did, but I just… wasn't really feeling it…" She shrugs.

Regina is upstairs. She can hear everything. She rolls her eyes at her future mother-in-law, but that is not her concern. Her phone rings, "Sidney?"

"Yes, your majesty… Are you sure it's alright to release her?" Sidney asks as she looks at his safe house.

"Yes Sidney, this was the deal… the deal also was that Emma and I were not to help her find him… So we will be getting married while she finds him…" She says with finality, "So please hurry so you can do your other job…"

"Yes, my Queen."

The line went dead and Regina looks up in the mirror. She nods once before she snaps her fingers and her dress is on. Henry knocks on the door a few moments later, "Mom?"

"Yes Henry?"

"I was just coming to see if you were ready yet… Emma is having a hard time… Well… she's having a hard time refraining from eating the cake… and coming up here… probably to ask if she can eat the cake… and because… well… I don't think she likes it very much when you're not around her anymore…" Henry looks at his mother through the mirror of the vanity she is sitting at, "You look really pretty mom…" He says before he changes the topic once more, "Do you like not being around Emma?"

Regina smiles at that question, "Not anymore than I have to… like with work… Emma has been and will always be a distraction when I'm trying to work, but otherwise, I'd prefer to be with her."

Henry mimics Emma's goofy grin… he's obviously inherited that part of Emma, "You really, really love her don't you?"

"Does the curse breaking not prove that?" She asks sarcastically, defensively, automatically… then she remembers her company, "I'm sorry Henry… I felt as if I was talking to your grandmother or someone the like…" She shakes her, "I really, really do love her… with everything good I can possibly give… with everything left of me, I do."

"Good… 'cause it's time I had two parents. And you both deserve at the least that…" Henry says.

Regina tears up and stands. She turns to her son and pulls him in for a hug, "You are far too perfect to be only mortal, my boy." She pulls back to look at her growing sons face, "You're so handsome too… You truly are the prince that the girls will fawn over…"

"Mom!" Henry turns away from her embarrassed.

Ruby interrupts them, "Umm… First thing's first: You look amazing! Now… Emma's trying to get into the cake…"

Regina rolls her eyes and snaps her fingers. The cake appears on the bed and a, "HEY! WHAT THE HELL?" is heard downstairs from none other than the Princess Charming herself.

They laugh softly before Ruby continues, "And last… or maybe it should have been first…. Umm.." She shakes her head, "Doesn't matter the order, anyways… Uhm, Sidney is here… can we get this wedding over with? Emma is acting like a toddler and a teenager…" The younger woman shakes her head.

Regina laughs at the description because she has no doubt that it is true. She nods and the three of them go downstairs. Most everyone has gone to the backyard except for James, Snow and Emma.

Regina isn't thinking as she walks into the kitchen first before telling Ruby to go ahead to get on with the ceremony. It's too late to back peddle as Emma flicks her mother's hand from fixing her hair and looks over to her. The biggest smile graces Emma's lips… the girl looks like medieval-tour-guide-Barbie the smile is so big. She immediately walks over to Regina and starts kissing her… and Regina is hardly one to object.

The four other parties interrupt by yelling, swatting, protesting, and literally pulling them apart.

"Hey, hey, hey… ladies!" Ruby says as she meddles her way in between the two of them, "Let's save it for tonight when there are no parents or children or friends present…" She gives them both a silly look before Emma is pulled away by her parents—Snow mostly as James is laughing at his daughter's reaction, and then Regina is held steady by Henry. Ruby then walks out to the back yard, grabs a remote and pushes play once she gets to her seat.

Emma is walked down the isle by her parents, then Regina by Henry. Sidney is standing at the end of the isle. He had agreed to officiate the ceremony. They did not exchange unique vows because the two of them were not people to speak of their emotions all willy nilly in public, and they both knew they would never be able to get through it otherwise.

~0~0~0~0~0~

It was actually after the ceremony, and after they sent Henry home with Snow and James, and after they had changed into more comfortable clothing that Regina began getting antsy. Emma was just sitting on the couch, trying to get her mack on with her wife when she finally couldn't handle her antsy-ness anymore and pushed from her body, "Come on." She says as she holds her hand out.

"What?" Regina looks at her questionably.

"Come on." Emma says as she ties the drawstring to her cut-off flannel pants then holds her hand out once more, "Let's go."

Regina can't help but trust her wife and after putting on socks and shoes and jackets, Regina finds herself being led behind the Sheriff's station, "Now… You just stay right here, wifey. I'll be right back."

"Wifey?" Regina shoots Emma a look.

Emma only grins in defense before she walks inside for a few minutes. She knows exactly what Regina needs to do whether she does or not… and she's going to need a much bigger work place than usual. So, Emma is gathering up the buckets of spray paint she has collected for just such an occasion. In her collection there is new paint and paint collected from vandals, either way, she's got more than Regina should ever need.

As she walks out with the three tubs full, she says, "Sorry I don't have one of those mask things… but I do have all the paint you could possibly need to cover this wall…" She gestures to the wall behind her, "All for you."

"I'm not gonna get arrested am I, Sheriff? This isn't some sort of ploy to keep me as a staple piece around the office?" Regina asks with a hint of flirtation on her tone.

Emma laughs and shakes her head, answering despite not needing to, "Are you kidding? If I arrested you for vandalism, the Mayor would have my head…literally." She gives her a look.

Regina then leans in and kisses her, "Thank you."

Emma puts her hands up, "Hey, don't thank me…I have ulterior motives…once you calm down enough for me to jump you, it's gonna happen."

This makes Regina laugh genuinely, something she only recently is able to do because of the blonde woman before her, "Don't say things you don't mean…"

"When have I ever lied about wanting the sex?"

Regina looks up and purses her lips, "I would have to say, 'never'…" She laughs again.

"Yeah, exactly… So quit yappin', get to paintin' so we can get to ….ing."

"Ing? What the hell is 'ing'?" Regina asks as she bends down, purposefully showing her ass to her wife as she chooses what to paint with first.

"There are so many words to choose from, I figured just saying 'ing' would be fine…" She says as she sinks to the ground and gets comfy to watch her wife paint, "Hey you think you could poof—I'm sorry, I mean 'flash' me a lawn chair… and something to drink?"

"After you gave me a wall and tons of paint? It's the least I could do darling…" She waves her hand behind her as she approaches the wall and turns around to see her wife surprised and looking around from a crossed legs position in a comfortable lawn chair holding a mug in her hand and a bottle of water in the cup holder.

"Thanks dear…" The blonde says after gathering her bearings.

Regina spray paints the back of the sheriff's station. No ladders were needed as Regina could just levitate when she wanted to… Emma loved having a magical wife… She didn't have to think about safety hazards or anything 'cause more than likely her brunette bombshell of a wife could probably fix it with a flick of the wrist or a snap of the fingers. Emma smirks as she watches Regina do a whole mural of her holding QUEEN Regina's right hand over her chest with her left hand and caressing Regina's cheek with her right. Regina has her left arm wrapped around Emma's middle…both of their left hands are visible and on both of their left hands, Regina has put their wedding bands.

Regina then puts a caption off to either side…they go together, so it's not like talking bubbles or anything. _The font is like a typewriter…_ Emma thinks as she watches her wife levitate up and down. On Regina's side it says, 'I've always had to take from people…' then on hers it says, '…but you dared to give me the most precious gift of all.' Then there is a love heart with a crown protecting it under the last three words of that text. Then as kind of a frame work around the two of them is HUGE bubble letters that make out the word 'LOVE'…

Regina stops painting and stairs. Emma can sense that Regina isn't sure why but something is wrong… She watches as Regina's back tenses and stands up to walk next to her. They both stare at the mural without blinking and cock their heads to the same side at the same pace. Both are completely stunned by what happens next.

The figures start moving and the words change. Both the painted Emma and Regina look worried at the real ones. The words are words of warning of what is going to happen. Regina's side changes first, 'You will have NINE more months of bliss…' now Emma's side changes, 'Just like the savior's parents had…' The text continues in the same pattern for each phrase, 'The curse will then completely break…' 'And the savior's job will finish.' 'The final battle will end.' 'And the true evil will show itself in the forms it takes.' Then, as if nothing just happened, the paintings go back to their original text and form, forever looking lovingly into each other's eyes.

The real Emma and Regina turn into each other as well. They both hold each other to keep the other from breaking at the thought of only nine months of peace.

**AN: Alrighty… there it is… This entire piece started with this last scene… the paintings coming to life… I realized after I officially finished writing this part it's a little Harry Potter, what with the paintings moving and interacting, but the painting wasn't supposed to… it just did… **


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: Wow thank you all so much for all the reviews! You guys are so intrigued! I love it! All of the guesses (which some of you are right and half right) on the true evil are making me want to change the story!... But, I'm not going to and I hope you all like what I got anyways… Now, a lot of the guesses on the timeline…well…heehee, here is the next chapter… Rating had been upped to M for a reason… and well… I'm not very good at writing the reason it's upped to M for…. But I do hope you enjoy!**

Emma and Regina go back to the mansion immediately. Emma isn't really that fazed by the paintings… She was actually expecting something bad to happen..her life was just to damn good at the moment. So, having the paintings come to life and threaten her… really didn't surprise her in the least.

She is currently watching Regina pace back and forth, "Careful now… you're going to run a hole through the floor…" She stares at Regina's feet as they turn once more… she really is half expecting it to happen. Once she notices the feet turn and walk to her she looks up at her wife, "Babe… it's okay."

"How can you say that?" Regina asks, Emma sighs and pulls her into her embrace. She starts kissing Regina's neck, and just when she thinks she's getting somewhere…finally…on her wedding night, the brunette continues, "We have nine months… NINE months Emma!" Regina pushes Emma from her, "And… I don't really know what you're expecting, but my prediction is someone in this room won't be breathing in that time."

Emma leans forward once more and kisses her wife, "I'm not gonna let that happen." Is all she says.

"Why are you so calm with all of this?"

"I don't know… nine months is a long time… it's a lot longer than I was expecting when the life-threatening…" Emma looks off to the side, looking for another word, but none comes, "The life-threatening..threat happened… We can plan it all out later, Babe… We can even start tomorrow," She grabs her wife's hips as she starts to whine, "But tonight… Tonight is our wedding night… and I was planning on getting some no matter what…."

"How can you think about sex at a time like this?" Regina pulls from her wife.

"I don't know… I guess I am my parents' daughter… Your threat didn't stop them from conceiving me on their wedding night." She shrugs, knowing she will provoke her wife by mentioning her mother's 'happiness' on her wedding night.

A flash rolls through the brunette's eyes and Emma can see clearly that Regina is close to jumping her just to shut her up, but she refrains from doing or saying anything. She only resumes pacing.

"Babe… I'm not saying we're not in a bad situation… I'm just saying that at this moment, either way we're shit out of luck, so we might as well take tonight—which was supposed to be our night anyways—and make it our night again… then tomorrow we can try to figure it all out… Come on Babe…" Emma walks over to her, "Don't you want to show my parents up on your own wedding night?"

This gives Regina all the encouragement she needs. Emma finds herself pushed down on the bed and feels dips on either side of her as Regina straddles her. She takes her sweet time letting her eyes roam up her wife's body to those dark chocolate brown eyes. Regina winks at her as she takes off her shirt. Emma lies back helpless as her wife strips down on top of her. The next thing removed is Regina's bra.

Regina then stands up, still straddling Emma as she hooks her thumbs into her pants and with a side-step kicks them off and out of the way. Regina then, still in her white lace wedding panties, slides down to her knees and hovers over her blonde wife. They stare deeply into each other's eyes, the light atmosphere completely changing to heavy and passionate. Regina smiles and Emma only follows suit as she picks her head from the pillow and kisses her nearly naked wife. Her hands wrap around Regina's back and stroke down to her ass.

Regina doesn't let Emma remove her panties yet. Right now, it's about the blonde. She needs to show her how much she loves her that night, for no matter how hard she try, she knows someone's death is looming over them and she'll be damned if Emma ever questions her feelings for her at any time. She kisses down Emma's neck to the swoop line her tank top makes before she travels over the tank top and moves south. She stops at the hem of the white cotton garment and fingers its finished edge as she looks up to those green-grey eyes that have captured her so. She grins as she leans down and kisses Emma's perfect stomach and trails back up as her hands begin to remove the shirt. Once she gets to Emma's bra, all bets are off. She reaches around her wife's back and pulls her to sit up. She unhooks it and takes both the bra and the tank top off at once then throws them haphazardly out of their way. She captures her lips once more with an intensity that shows her wife her intentions.

Emma can only lie back down and enjoy the immense pleasure she is receiving. She feels Regina trail back down to her breasts and nip, suck, lick, and kiss her already hard nipples. Her moans are only encouragement to Regina as her seemingly stuck grin widens before she trails down to Emma's lower half. Once she gets to Emma's midriff once more, she finds Emma's hips already rising for her pants and underwear to be removed. Regina looks up and moves back to Emma's mouth to kiss her lips once more as her hands hook into Emma's pajama bottoms and underwear, effectively removing both items and tossing them aside as well.

Regina sits back, looking Emma over… looking at all her handiwork she's already done. She looks into her eyes once more, "You… are the most beautiful person I've ever seen." She says through a lump in her throat. She didn't know where it came from, and she could have masked the sudden onslaught of emotion from anyone but her… but Emma knowing how truly she meant what she said, made the words all the more… everything.

Emma bites her lip at her wife's words then sits back up to kiss her once more. She pulls her back down and they continue their kiss before Regina can't handle it anymore. She has to taste her. Emma knows the look well… and the fact this was their wedding night made it all the more exciting for the blonde. She threw her head back into the pillow and let the brunette kiss her all over, subsequently trailing down her torso.

Regina nips at Emma's lower midriff for a moment before she finally trails lower. She avoids the spot Emma needs most and nips and kisses the inside of Regina's thighs. She moves closer and Emma sucks in a large breath and holds it as Regina inhales her scent. This is always Emma's favorite part. She loves watching Regina's face before she goes down on her; she seems to be fascinated every time that Emma can get as wet as she does for her and it seems to delight and excite her. Regina glances back up to Emma's face before she leans in and licks her new bride's lower lips. She _loves_ the taste of Emma. There is nothing better… the only thing that comes relatively close is one of her own apples, but even their sweet juice can compare.

As soon as Regina connects with Emma, she blonde is writhing. Her entire body begins to thrust. It starts with her head as it slams back into the pillow—thank God they weren't closer to the headboard otherwise Emma night have a concussion—then the wave travels down her chest and stomach before finishing at her hips. She tries to hold still as Regina works her magic… though this is one task Regina would never use magic for, Emma calls it her magicless magic because Regina is just that good at going down town that there has to be magic involved somewhere.

It doesn't take long before Emma can't keep herself still as she thrusts into her wife's mouth. Regina would smirk if she could at this point, instead she chuckles while suckling Emma's clit, causing one of many minigasms from the blonde. Regina inserts a finger and then two… and then a third before Emma realizes what is going on… and by the time she finally understands and wants to tell her just how amazing it feels, she's fallen off the ledge. She flutters tightly around Regina's fingers and her hands automatically find Regina's head and hold the brunette down as she rides out her orgasm. After Emma finally settles down and relaxes back into a lying position, Regina removes her fingers and mouth from Emma. She trailed her lips in a straight line to the blonde's lips.

Emma smiles as she holds Regina to her then hugs her as Regina's body settles on top of her. Soon though, Emma wants more and her fingers follow the graceful lines of Regina's back down to her lace-covered ass. She pulls lightly on a leg of the panties, telling Regina that she wants them off. Regina pulls from Emma's lips, sitting up straight, almost leaning against Emma's now propped knees, and they stare into each other. Emma moves her fingers around to Regina's front and tugs on the top of the panties, a whine coming to her face, but never leaving her lips. Regina grins as she moves forward and kisses the blonde once more. She continues to peck the sheriff's lips as she plants her feet on either side of Emma and straightens her legs so she is standing and bending all the way over to kiss her wife. Emma's hands stayed on the top hem of the brunette's panties and tugged them. She had to move around the mayor's ass before the lacy garment finally gave way and Regina could step out of them then settle back over Emma's body.

Emma wastes no time now that Regina is buck-ass nude. Her hand immediately finds her wife's center and she plunges two fingers in. She knows Regina is more than ready. As soon as her panties came off, Regina's glorious scent filled Emma's nostrils. They both sigh happily as they create a rhythm only the two of them can follow. Emma can feel how close Regina is. She's getting close again two just watching her. She thrusts a bit harder before she sees and feels Regina topple over. Regina falls forward and Emma takes her face with her free hand so she can kiss her once more. She stares in Regina's eyes and rolls them over so that she's finally on top.

She kisses everywhere. She spends an ample amount of time on the brunette's chest the kisses down her stomach; one hand holds her up and the other replaces her mouth on her wife's breasts. Regina is already grinding once more and Emma pulls away, "What do you want?" Emma asks her, wanting to give her exactly what she desires.

The only thing Regina can muster to say is, "You." And she barely gets that out.

Emma leans down and kisses her hard. She then sits up on her knees and spreads Regina's legs as wide as they can go. She knows just how close Regina is again, and Emma's been on the edge for a while now. It won't take much of anything for either of them to come again. And secretly, what Emma is about to do is her favorite thing. She always feels connected… literally and metaphorically when they do this. She makes sure Regina is going to stay open for her before she starts to lean over her again. She uses one hand to spread Regina's nether lips and one on herself as she moves forward and presses them together so that their clits are kissing. She falls forward, but immediately catches herself and starts rubbing them together in that special rhythm.

She looks down at Regina's glowing body. It doesn't actually make it through her thought process that Regina's body is literally glowing bright. She doesn't process that if she were to look around she would feel like she were making love in the middle of the day due to the glow coming from her wife. She only sees Regina's pleasured face. She leans down and kisses her, "I love you." She says just loud enough for Regina to hear over her own panting.

Regina looks up at her and grabs the back of Emma's neck pulling her down for one, long, amazing kiss. The kiss and their rhythmic pace set them both off and their lady fluids mix together. This time, it's Emma's turn to collapse. She manages to fall to Regina's side to calm down. Regina snuggles into her wife and they move into their usual sleeping position subconsciously, both having passed out after their two intense wedding-gasms each.

~0~0~0~0~0~

The morning after their nuptials… the morning after the painting… and the morning after the best sex they'd ever had… well, the afternoon after all of this, Emma woke up to cold sheets. Knowing that her son with going to be with his grandparents for the rest of the week—because Regina had preferred to stay in her own home than go to Granny's where people might hear them…and since they couldn't really leave the town, they had settled for Henry to stay with the grandparents so Emma and Regina could get the hanky pank on… of course, they told Emma's parents and their son that they were going to want alone time to lay around and do nothing with each other, which they never got to do. Snow took it at face value… she didn't want to let her mind wander back to her wedding night and what they would probably do with their son gone. She and James simply told them that they would love to spend time with their grandson… and Henry just gave them a disgusted before agreeing to be anywhere but in the mansion after the wedding… he knew his mothers loved each other… and that's all he ever hoped to know… so he had left the afternoon before gladly with Snow and James. Now, because of all of this, Emma knows that Henry won't be around… which means she will finally get to walk around her own home naked again. And that's exactly what she does.

She rubs her eyes a she gets up and moves from the bed and down the hall to the stairs. "Babe?" She calls out, "Regina?" She calls again as she descends the stairs. She waits at the bottom for a response. She gets none, but hears movement in Regina's study, "Fuck…" She mumbles as she walks inside, "Babe…" She sees Regina in a robe looking over what she can only imagine is a spell book or some book that knows about all magic because the thing is thick as all get out and looks all old and magic book-like. "Regina." She says again as she enters the room and stands in front of the desk.

Regina doesn't look up, she simply grunts, "Hmm?"

"Are you really already trying to figure out what the painting means?" Emma asks.

"Of course… we don't have much time, Emma." She keeps her nose in her book.

"I think we have plenty of time… I mean… you couldn't even wait until after morning sex and breakfast?" Emma pouts slightly.

Regina now takes the time to look up, of course, taking in her wife's naked form she needs to do a double and triple take, "I can't really help you with the morning sex right now, but…" Regina flicks her wrist and points over to the coffee table; a light shoots out of her index finger and to where she points and when it lands, a plate of all of Emma's favorite breakfast foods appears with a glass and mug of every breakfast drink imaginable.

Emma turns to thank her, but before she can speak another light shoots from her wife's finger and lands on her stomach… she is then covered with her usual pajamas, "HEY!" Emma starts to tug on the shirt.

"I find you very distracting, please don't take them off." Regina is already back in her book.

Emma smirks and saunters over to her wife, "I'll be as distracting as I damn well please. It's the morning after our wedding… we shouldn't even be out of bed." Emma shuts the book that Regina is looking through and turns her wife's face to her own and kisses her, "Good morning." She says with a cheery grin.

"Good morning." Regina relents, knowing Emma will only pester her until she gets what she wants. She stands after Emma tugs on her arms and lets her wife take her robe off, then watches as she takes the pajamas Regina put her in off as well.

"Ohh… We get to be naked all day too." Emma waggles her brows as she walks Regina over to the food and they sit down.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma got her way through most of their honeymoon, but as soon as Henry came home, Regina escaped to work or to her study to try and figure out if there was any way she could stop the oncoming wrath, knowing that there was none. They learned after they both got back to the real… well, the real fake world that more and more people were remembering.

They would walk down the street and people would grunt and growl at Regina, or they would cower and dart as far around as they could. Emma told her that the minute someone threatened her she was going to be at the Sheriff's Station with her because she didn't like what she had been seeing.

It is about two weeks back to the real fake world that Regina walks into City Hall for the start of yet another workweek. She had been feeling… odd lately and she only assumed that it was because she was overly worried for what was to come. She makes it through lunch and sits back at her desk for a total of seven minutes before she knows she's going to lose her lunch. She makes it to the waste basket just in time to let her lunch loose.

Mallory rushes in having heard the mayor from outside, "Are you alright?"

"Fine! Mallory. Thank you." Regina says, standing up. She picks the wastebasket and brings it over to her, "Will you… dispose of that?" She asks the younger woman.

"Yes Your Majesty." Mallory bites her lips as the Mayor whips back around to her.

"Excuse me?" She asks the redheaded secretary.

Mallory closes her eyes and looks back up to her, "I got my memory back, Your Majesty… I know who you are."

"You know who I am, yet you don't seem to want my head on a mount like a buck." Regina eyes her warily, "Why?"

"Because you saved me once."

Regina tilts her head to the side, "Excuse me?" She says in a low tone.

"Before you… Your mother took me when I was a child, maybe eight. She told me she would put me in a palace and I would be a princess… Then she took me to your palace and threw me in with the rest of the help, but I also seemed to be her personal ragdoll… Since you had been crowned, she told me that she couldn't mark you anymore." Mallory looks off to the side, "She had already paid off my mother, who needed the money so there was nothing I could do really, aside from what I was told." She looks up, "She was a wicked woman, Your Majesty. The things she did… I can only imagine the things she did to you…" She closed her eyes and shook her head, "And she just did it for pleasure… because she could. Because she liked to see the fear in people… I knew that she was going to end my life after my eleventh year… I thought I could stand up to her, and she didn't like that… But then… You walked into her chambers after I had crawled under the bed to get away from her…"

Regina swallows hard, "You were under the bed…?"

"Yes. I never told a soul what I saw I swear it. I'm only telling you now because you have the right to know that I saw it happen… What you did… saved me. So, no… I'm not out for your head. I only wish to repay you…" The mayor looks as though she might throw up again and Mallory is quick to give the basket back.

After Regina finishes, she stares at the younger woman, "What became of you after I killed my mother?" She asks.

"I stayed in the castle, laid low. Did nothing to bring attention to myself. I was just another servant to dote on you." Mallory took the basket back, "I did so happily, and I will continue to do so because of what you unknowingly did for me." She turns, "I'll be right back with a clean wastebasket, Your Majesty." She says quietly.

"Thank you… Mallory…" Regina walks slowly back to her desk. Emma is not going to believe this… She sends her wife a rather detailed, novel-like text to which Emma's response is, '…What The Fuck?' then another shortly after, 'You need me?' Regina only smiles as she knows Emma is only processing everything much like she is. She tells her to do her job and stay at the station or on patrol or wherever she is.

She then feels ill once more, but this time, she knows she won't throw up it's just nausea. She grabs her coat and walks out to her lobby, "Mallory?" She calls down the hall, the only place Mallory would have gone to get another trashcan.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" The secretary hurries up the hallway.

"I'm not feeling well… obviously… I'm going to go home for the rest of the day. Hold my calls and don't tell the Sheriff… I beg of you." Regina gives the woman a pleading look, "The last thing I need is her taking off to dote over me… I'm perfectly capable of handling things myself and I'd rather just sleep the afternoon off…"

Mallory smiles, "Yes Ma'am."

Regina stops by the pharmacy to pick up some medicine. As she looking through the many anti-nausea tablets and liquids, a sign further into the isle catches her eye. 'Pregnancy Test/Birth Control' it reads. She stares at it for a long time as the light bulb clicks. She picks up one of the many, many choices, puts it in her bag, walks to the cashier and takes out a twenty, "It's $12.95. I don't need the change." She speaks curtly before she walks out of the store and heads home.

Mallory couldn't shake the concern off, so she defied the Queen and called her wife anyways. Emma smirks as she walks into the mansion. Mallory had seemed so scared that she would get in trouble. Emma almost laughed over the phone, but kept her cool. She told her that she would tell Regina that she had called the office line after she didn't answer her phone and she had gone all crazy concerned wife because she heard a hint of concern in Mallory's tone. Mallory audibly sighed in relief before they hung up and Emma jumped in her bug.

She opens the bedroom door as quietly as possible so as not to disturb her wife if she were already asleep. She takes in the fact that Regina is not on the bed and she sees Regina's shoes, skirt, shirt and jacket over on their side table. She then hears a package opening in the bathroom. She knows, generally speaking, she should knock first because Regina hates it when she barges in, but if Regina is as sick as Mallory thought, she needs to just not care about rules that Regina is oh-so-fond of.

Regina sits down on the toilet and holds the stick between her legs before she begins to relieve herself. It is as she is in this position, this pregnancy test between the legs position that the bathroom door opens and her wife's head pops in. Regina has never been more scared in her entire life than she is in this moment. She has no idea how Emma will react.

Emma, obviously surprised and trying to explain any rational reason her wife would be taking a pregnancy test that did not involve sperm of a man, raises her brows and crosses her arms, "There something you wanted to tell me?" She asks as she kicks the door shut behind her and leans her hip against the counter.

Regina looks up at her, "I think I'm pregnant."

Emma stands there motionless, speechless. _This is not happening… there is some obvious explanation I'm missing…_

"I'm positive it's yours if I am." She bites her lip and sets the test on the counter before she wipes, stands, pulls her panties and Emma's pajama bottoms that she stole up and flushes the toilet.

The response makes Emma close her eyes with her brows raised. She has her mouth posed in a, 'What?' way…then she actually starts to question, "How the hell is that possible?" She can't hold the angry back even though she tried. She wants to believe Regina despite knowing logically there was no way…

Regina looks at her with her crossed arms and her concerned face, and walks over to her. She knows what is going through Emma's head. She hesitantly puts her hands on her shoulders. "I will try to explain this in as simple a way as possible… that you probably won't believe because you grew up in this world and not in the one you were supposed to…" She takes a breath and waits for Emma's eyes before she continues, "I'm a witch. I have magical powers. On our wedding night… I couldn't control myself." She pulls from Emma and walks a couple feet away then looks back to her, "When we…" she gestures with her hands.

"Scissored?" Emma looks at her with a cheeky grin, already knowing and understanding and believing Regina as she speaks—because really? What woman has time for an affair after their wedding?

Regina looks back at her with wide eyes, "That's not exactly what that was that night…"

"When we did it straight people military style but in essence scissored?"

Regina nodded slowly, slightly embarrassed…she didn't like talking about their sex life unless they were in the bedroom or about to go to the bedroom, literally or metaphorically… So she was uncomfortable. "Yes." She whispers out, "We…" she rolls her eyes both because she doesn't want to say it and because she thinks it's ridiculous that she can't, and finally gets it out, "We came together…"

Emma chuckles lightly, "Yes." She sobers and turned to the matter at hand, letting her wife continue.

"Well… I might've accidently turned…" Regina is using her hands, but they aren't making sense.

Emma stares into her eyes, now having it fully confirmed as to what was going on, "You turned my lady juice into sperm?"

Regina nods and turns from her, "I'm sorry."

Emma is immediately holding her from behind, "NO!" She hugs her and starts swaying with her back and forth, "I think it's great." She says simply.

Regina looks at her, "What?"

Emma gives her an almost goofy grin, "Yeah, are you kidding? A kid with your eyes and my family's jaw? A kid that holds the feelings you do and the 'good' that is allegedly me?" She used bunny quotes around the word 'good'.

"Don't do that." Regina says firmly looking at her in the mirror, and Emma gives her a questioning look, "Don't use air quotes to make fun of who you are. You are the savior…you save me everyday. You are good. You've gotten one of the most evil of beings to apologize and try to retract her ways…you turned her good."

Emma nods, "Fine…a kid with the way you feel, probably at least a little bit of your powers, and the goodness of me…" Emma turns Regina to her, took her hand and put it on her heart…a thing she did a lot ever since the heart wall. Then she held the brunette's hand there, making her feel the beating in her chest, "You feel that?" Regina leans and presses her forehead against Emma's, "Hmm?" Regina nods. "That's what you do to me…and to add on to this family? I mean…Holy shit, Babe…"

Regina laughs and they look at each other. The timer Regina set prior to Emma entering the bathroom dings. Regina doesn't move, so Emma takes it upon herself to look. She looks at the test then back to Regina. She sinks down in front of the brunette and kisses her stomach, "Yeah…this is going to be amazing." She kisses her stomach again. Regina runs her fingers through Emma's hair and holds her there. There is a really long pause as Emma continues to nuzzle the abdominals before her, then she smirks, "We totally showed my parents up…" This makes Regina laugh the genuine laugh that really only Emma and Henry…and now their little nugget will get the pleasure of hearing.


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: Wow… I almost didn't make it this week… For my delay, I will try to post again on the fourth… I don't have to work, and it's going to be a whole lot of nothing… hopefully. Anyways… Gonna try to post again on Wednesday!** **And, I know that this is a chapter that's main purpose is to pass time, but I hope you like it!**

Regina, Emma, Mary—Mom and Dad… Emma's mom and dad, Regina refused to call them any such thing and they were only more than happy of that fact… They are all settled around the coffee table in Emma and Regina's living room. They've probably been there for a silent half hour drinking tea. That silent half hour has dragged on and on and it really feels to Emma like it's been a full 24 hours since they greeted her parents at the door.

Finally David—Dad cuts into the silence, "So… How have you ladies been since the big day?" He asks politely.

"Fine." Emma answers… and there it is again.

Silence.

Regina leans forward, setting her cup and saucer on the coffee tray. She sits back once more and puts her hand on Emma's knee then lets it fall to the inside. She pinches Emma to get her attention. She silently tells her that if Emma doesn't start talking soon then she is going to and it won't be as exciting for them coming from the heinous woman that's married to their baby girl, the most precious gift of everything ever.

"So… I was conceived on your wedding night right?" Emma starts in asking… the most awkward question she's ever asked her parents. She realizes that this is information parents provided to embarrass their children… it isn't wanted by the children… _Oh well, too late now._

Snow and James look at each other, "Uh, well… yes… Yes, you were." Snow says in a calm tone.

"So it took nine months total for me to bake and stuff? I wasn't like a… like a preemie or anything?"

"No Emma, darling, you were born nine months later…" Snow replies.

Emma lets out a breath and looks at Regina with a smile. Regina gives her wife a pained look and pleads for her to get the show on the road. Emma takes Regina's hand as she sits forward, setting her china on the tray as well.

"Right… okay… so…" She takes a breath, "Hey, remember how I was conceived on your wedding night?" Her parents stare at her, but she continues, choosing to ignore their concerned stares, "Aaaand remember how there's magic in this world now?"

They both nod completely in unison.

"Well… Regina and I are like mini-yous… We're going to have a magic baby, and nine months from now shit's gonna get real… apparently." She mumbles from 'and' on, hoping that the focus would be on the happy part.

Snow stands up, instant tears formed in her eyes, "Oh Emma!" She walks over and pulls her daughter up. She hugs her tight then touches Emma's stomach, "She's going to be beautiful."

Emma laughs and pulls away from her mother as if she were being tickled, "Wow, okay! Guess I should have clarified that I'm not the one that's knocked up…"

Snow drops her hands, "Oh." She says almost disgusted as she looked over to Regina, "That's… that's wonderful news." She walks stoically back to her seat and says nothing more.

"What was this you said about nine months?" James asks.

"Right so… Regina loves to paint… well… On the night of the wedding she was too antsy to have sex, so we went to the station and she painted this badass mural… well when she was done, the painting came to life and told us that we had nine months before shit gets real… so… I'm thinking I got about six months left to figure out what I'm supposed to do, me being the savior, to save everyone from whatever is going to happen, 'cause otherwise, I'm walking into this blind…" Emma says all of this in all of two breaths.

She receives three pair of blank eyes in response.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Another three months passed before Emma puts her foot down over where Regina is going to work.

She is pacing during Regina's insistence to stay in her own office, "NO! Baby! Not after yesterday. I am not leaving you in your office. You are coming to the station. Call Mallory and tell her that you will be working from the station or home from here on out and if she has shit that needs to be signed or if you have shit you need to do, it all needs to come over to the station!" Emma takes a long breath during her pacing, and now she starts to throw in hands gestures, "I won't let you be alone. I don't care if most people are scared of you. There are a few who aren't and I'm not taking any chances! More and more people are remembering and more and more people will start feeling froggy thinking they can leap all over the place… especially when you're alone!" She stops and puts her hand to her forehead, "And what if there's an issue with baby? I'll need to be as close as possible. And you know I'd say I'm moving into your office, it's bigger and nicer and smells like you, but you're office doesn't have cells."

"Darling… I could put some in there… It would only take a flick of the wrist…"

"Right!" Emma nods, "Okay! Let's do that then!"

Regina grins and brings her wife in for a kiss, "I love how protective you are of me." She says into the kiss.

"It's not just you I'm protective of." The blonde replies back through their locked lips.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Two days later Emma, Regina, Snow and Charming sat down for lunch at Granny's. The conversation is pleasant and stays mainly focused on Regina's ever-growing stomach, her health, and what all Emma and Regina are doing to prepare for the baby. Only once does Charming's concern slip and he asks about the impending doom. It only shows Regina and Emma how concerned he and Snow truly are for their grandchild.

Ending their lunch on that sentimental note, Regina and Emma head back to the Mayor's office/Sheriff's station.

"Don't you know who that is?" A voice asks behind the couple as they watch their daughter walk away happy on the outside and breaking on the inside.

Snow turns around to see all seven of the dwarfs, "Hello my good friends." She greets them.

"Snow.." Grumpy is the most concerned.

"Don't you know who Regina is?"

"Yes…" Snow looks down sadly, "I do."

Charming is at his wits end. It seems that everyone that remembers has to ask them this question. He stands and turns to the entire diner, "Am I safe in assuming that everyone remembers?"

The people look around then all begin nodding.

"Alright. Now, my wife and I are well aware of who exactly Regina is. We're also well aware of who she is…to our daughter." He looks at everyone, "While I feel as if bile rises in my throat as I say these words the fact is this: Regina has changed. She has given back everyone everything she has ever taken from them. She is in love with our daughter and it is because of her… and because of the savior that we all remember who we are. So…" He turns to the dwarfs, "Yes, we know. Yes, our concerns are shining as bright as yours, but our daughter knows more of that woman's ill will and she sees passed it. So… we have no choice but to stand at their side because they are the only two that can fully break this retched curse and bring us back home." He offers his hand to his wife, "Now if you'll excuse us." He says before leading his wife out of the diner.

~0~0~0~0~0~

T minus two months and counting to Fairytale D-Day, Regina has the urge to paint once more. She walks down to the shed. It is at this point that she realizes she is seven months pregnant and shouldn't necessarily be close to paint fumes.

So… being a magical person, she stays outside the shed and paints that way. It is like using a Kinect… the only reason she knows what that is, is because of her son and her wife who begged for one so they could play Star Wars on it.

She grins as she let the creativity take over. As she stares at what she's creating and realizes that she sees Emma's face. She grins again, but it falters as she looks at the surroundings of her wife… and then she frowns when she sees the details she is putting on her. She doesn't mind seeing what Emma will look like when she's old, she just wonders why she is her this way at all.

Emma looks about as old as the old lady version of that red-headed woman from that film about the boat that sank and sank and sank some more. Emma isn't standing on the side of a boat, throwing the heart of the ocean into it's rightful place, no… She's swimming. And honestly Regina has this sinking feeling that it's not necessarily water.

But what gets to Regina most about this painting is the look in her eyes. Emma, wrinkles and all, looks so desperate to reach whatever it is she is obviously reaching for that it makes Regina push from the side of the shed she was working at and run a few feet away. She sits and leans against the nearest apple tree for a few moments collecting herself. Trying to think it all through. Why Emma would be that determined, and what made her do it… She tries to piece together a logical explanation as to why she feels deep down that it is part of the impending doom as well.

She hears Emma walking down from the back porch and pushes all thoughts she can to the back of her mind.

"Hey, hey pretty lady…" Emma greets her with a smile, "Why are you all the way down here and not with the closest one?" She asks as she kneels down in front of her and kisses her.

"I wanted to paint…" Regina says.

"But you're pregnant…" Emma concludes. She moves to lie down kisses Regina's stomach, "Mommy can't huff paint fumes with you inside her, little girl." Emma kisses her stomach once more then sits back up to kiss her wife again. She puts her hand on Regina's belly. She watches as Regina leans her head back against the tree and subconsciously trace around Emma's hand. Emma grins and looks back at Regina's closed eyes, "What are we gonna name her?"

~0~0~0~0~0~

A very pregnant Regina is standing outside the back of the station looking at her painting…looking for answers to all her burning questions. She and Emma have been there for about half an hour now. Emma didn't let her go anywhere alone anymore except to the bathroom, and she is actually wildly alright with that.

She is standing there, trying to tap into her subconscious; trying to go back to the night as well, but it's no use. She hears footfalls strut her way, then feels a pair of hands start running over belly before beginning to massage her aching, eight-month pregnant, back.

"You have got to stop worrying and stressing. You don't have control over this one. And all of this worry and stress is going to…well actually I don't know if it's bad for her considering she's a magic baby… Do they even bake for the regular time?"

Regina starts to smile and rolls her eyes…a habit she is not proud that she has picked up from her wife, "Yes…they do."

"Alright, just making sure." Emma smirks and she knows Regina is smiling.

A silence comes over them.

"I'm worried." Regina says.

Emma's voice carries a strange certainty as she replies, "Don't be."

"No, Emma. You don't understand." Regina doesn't know how to continue.

"I don't understand what?"

"Mr. Gold _and_ _**Maleficent**_…" She growls out the last word

"Created the curse. I know." Emma says with ease.

Regina tilts her head to look at her, "How did you…?"

"Honey, you've talked in your sleep since the first night I slept next to you, and it's only gotten worse since I knocked you up. I use it to my advantage…" Regina gives her an unimpressed look, "WHAT? Don't give me that look! This whole thing has been taking over your brain! I wanted to know what was specifically stressing you so…" She shrugs, "Turns out it was just my destiny…"

Emma kisses Regina's cheek, "I'm telling you not to worry because, this is what I was born to do… Okay? I am to destroy the curse. That's set in stone…so much so it's practically a fucking commandment. Right after 'Thou shalt not covet' it's 'Oh and by the way, Emma Swan, daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming is going to destroy the curse the Evil Queen will set upon Fairytale Land. So, along with, 'God forbid,' 'Jesus Christ!,' 'Holy Mary mother of God' and all the rest, we can really had, 'Holy Mary Margaret mother of Emma Swan' to the list of vain with which the Lord's name shall not be taken, because…seriously…this bitch is gonna do some real saving.'"

Regina is smirking, "That's a bit of a long commandment, don't you think?"

Emma shakes her head, "Nah. It's fine as is." She pulls from Regina and walks around to face her then kneels down before the extremely pregnant belly, "I'll say one thing though, Baby…I've added a few things to my destiny…like I destroy the curse and the evil, not the queen herself, and I fall in love and knock said not-so-evil queen up…" Emma kisses Regina's belly and looks back up at her with that certainness that sends a stirring inside of the brunette, "And we will get our happily ever after…"


	15. Chapter 15

**AN:…. Okay, so I didn't get this up yesterday… I just ran out of time for any kind of writing yesterday… I thought I was going to have all kinds of time… but I didn't…. Nevertheless… here you all are. Hope you enjoy! There are going to be nineteen chapters in total… unless you all want an epilogue, in which case there will be 20… so, we're coming around the final bend!**

Emma and Regina seem to be going to bed earlier and earlier because Regina, as she says, is 'sleeping for two' so she needs more… and in truth, Emma really, really likes laying in bed with her wife, hand on her swollen belly, feeling their baby move around and stretch as Regina relaxes and falls asleep. Emma genuinely enjoys scooting down to Regina's tummy and have drawn out conversations with the love she and Regina made.

This had become a pattern early on, but now, as Emma rests her forehead against her wife's stomach, now that they are 35 days away from the end of it all, Emma can't help but kiss Regina's stomach with every breath she takes during their chat for the night. "I love you, baby girl." Emma kisses her stomach one final time before she scoots back up and kisses her wife's cheek before falling asleep.

The next morning, the alarm goes off and Emma, still with her eyes closed, scoots to the edge of the bed and sits up as Regina, still with her eyes closed, shuts the alarm off after feeling her wife move. Emma pads to the bathroom, again with her eyes closed, and pees as if her life depends on it. It is as she is walking over to the dresser that holds her jeans that she notices something is off. She finally opens her eyes and looks at the handle in her hand… there isn't anything that different, it is just a lot heavier. And as she looks at the dresser itself, it was completely different, but the exact same as well. She knits her brows, and looks at the ground. She sees under her socks lay stone and rugs.

"Is she casting spells in her sleep now?" She mumbles to herself as she turns to her wife… this is when it clicked. As she looks at their bed she sees the overbearing headboard, she looks to the bathroom door to see thick wood and looks at all the walls to find that… this is not her bedroom. "Baby?" She asks still in awe.

"Hmm?" Regina grunts.

"Uhh… is there an itty, bitty, teeny, tiny possibility that with the curse breaking and all we could find ourselves back in..not Storybrooke before we even realize it?" Emma is now looking out of the window that is more castle-like than the usual window she looks out of.

"What are you talking about?" Regina takes a couple tries to sit up, but sit up she does, "I think we would know if—Oh my gods." She looks around in awe as well. "We're in my castle…" She says with wide eyes, "This is my bed chamber…"

Emma's brows raise, "Oh it is, is it? And just uh… what goes on in your bed chamber, hmm?" Emma saunters over to her wife and stands in front of her, wiggling around, letting Regina know about her instant horniness at hearing the words, 'bed chamber' from her wife's mouth.

"Emma, you cannot possible want to make love to me now… look at me…" She sighs fell limp as if she were the most pathetic, ugly thing in the world.

"I am…" Emma replies. As Regina's eyes snap up to her and she grins, "Sexier everyday.." The blonde smiles and pushes the brunette back down into the bed.

"Hardly!" Regina pulls from Emma's lips and lets the attack continue on her neck, "I haven't seen my feet in two months, I'm always sweating and out of breath, my hair has never been more matted than it has been lately…"

"Oh for the love!" Emma pushes herself up and rest her head in her hand, "Are you going to let me have sex with your or not?" Emma asks exasperatedly, "I mean here I am, about to save this fricken place from impending doom and you, my wife, can't even give me some lovin' in the more because you don't feel pretty when we both know you're god damn fucking beautiful pregnant belly or otherwise!" Regina just stares up at her wife with a stricken yet awed look… almost like Emma is just the most adorable thing. Emma sighs and leans over her, "So can…. Can we do it, now?" Emma's eyes are wide, which is her biggest defense against her wife… every time something goes wrong, she throws this look on her face and she doesn't get in trouble.

Regina grins and lifts her hand to the blonde's cheek, "You really want to have sex with me? I'm really pretty enough for that?"

All Emma does is lean in and start kissing Regina again… they got to Regina's shirt being lifted over her belly before they were interrupted, "MOM! EMMA!" Henry yells into the room.

"Yes, Henry?" Regina calls, looking at the door.

"This place morphed into a castle over night! A whole, huge castle!" He cries.

Regina moves to get up, "NO!" Emma grunts against her neck.

"We have to. You know he won't let up until we're exploring with him…" Emma growls, and Regina grins then starts poking fun, "Grr rr, grumble, grumble. Emma can't get any lately, grrrr rr grumble." Regina tries to sit up after and with Emma's help the get up on the first try, "Thank you." She kisses her wife, then looks at her, "I promise you will get some before the day is through, my love."

"Yeah?" Emma's ears perk.

Regina grins, "Yes." She kisses her again, "But now… we have to figure out what is going on… why we're in my castle, is everything else like this, and all of that, alright?"

Emma nods and they tell Henry that they will be right out. They all explore the castle for a bit before they walk outside to leave for the day. They find that two other houses on the street have disappeared and seem to be back in their rightful places… based on Regina's view from her and Emma's window.

After seeing that only a bit of the town has seemingly morphed back into their original dwellings…only keeping electricity and running water and air conditioning, Emma and Regina settle in their converted mayor's to mayor/sheriff's office. There is no one in the cells, so they have to place to their own. Emma gives Regina her look at one point, but Regina refuses to look back, knowing exactly what she'll see… and she's much too intrigued and concerned with the town and how it's changing.

So… Emma sighs heavily and slumps into her chair. She's made it to the 50th level of 'Where is My Water?' having effectively given the alligator a good shower and collected the three duckies when she feels something… move behind her.

"What the hell?" She jumps up and turns around but sees nothing. She knits her brows.

"Uh… Sheriff?" Regina looks over to her and knits her brows, "Your gun…" it's all she can say as she tilts her head.

Emma feels behind her back for her gun and takes it from its holster… the gun was in the midst of growing a long silver blade. "What the fuck?" She yells as she holds onto the handle tighter. She and Regina both watch in amazement as the gun begins to take the form of, in Regina's opinion, quite the elegant sword. The hilt of the weapon was actually very beautiful. It detail in the metal and there were emeralds randomly accented on the part that was not bound by fabric.

Emma feels movement again and jumps around a moment, then looks down once it stops. The holster of the gun turned into the sheath and belt for the sword. There was another spot on the belt for a dagger and as Emma knits her brows in wonder, the desk begins a slight shake, as if movement is coming from inside. As she opens the desk drawer she keeps her bullets in, she raises her brows and pulls out the dagger.

She looks over to her wife and smirk graces her face as she holds both weapons in her hands, "This is SO badass!" She starts dancing around pretending she knows a thing or two to her wife's amusement.

"Darling, do you really think you should be doing that? I mean, really, you're embarrassing yourself."

Emma stops and looks at her wife, who is now trying to hold in her laughter, "Let me have my fun before I have to get all serious!" Emma cried, "If I can't have sex today, let me play with my cool awesome gun and bullets turned sword and dagger!"

Regina smirks and nods, "Alright my love… Go beat down the couch and that other furniture, I'll repair it when you're done."

Emma's face lit up, "Thanks Babe!" She runs over to the coat rack and began whacking away.

Regina waves her hand and a pair of ear plugs land on the desk before her. She puts them in and leans back, hopefully for an afternoon snooze. Just as she was on the brink of sleep she hears a different faint knock in between Emma's destruction of her chair. She looks up to see Mr. Gold walk in.

She straightens up and takes the plugs out. Emma sees her move out of the corner of her eye and stops with her new toy. She looks the direction Regina is and grips the sword tighter.

Mr. Gold grins wickedly as he makes his way over, "Please Miss Swan, don't stop on my account… I know how truly threatening furniture can be, don't stop until you're sure it can't hurt you."

Emma sheaths her sword as she walks over and stands behind Regina, "What do you want?" She shows her angry disposition.

"Me? No… It's not what I want, it's what you want…" Mr. Gold grins, "I can tell you what is going to happen… for a price, of course."

"Fuck off." Emma crosses her arms.

Gold touches his heart and acts offended, "Your Majesty, are you going to let her talk to me like that? You know how useful I can be…"

"And I know how treacherous you can be…" She stands up, "You know how much I want to know what will happen, but I will not risk anything for it like I did with the curse itself. You have Belle, so if you please leave and maybe… tend to her instead of harassing us like you seem to love to do as of late."

"Oh, Your Majesty… you have made the wrong choice. I only came to help."

"You came to manipulate." Emma calls as he's at the door, "Guess what… you can't do anything unless we make a deal with you… and that's never gonna happen. So, again I say… Fuck. Off."

"Oh Emma… you always have been an overzealous, over protective, irrational woman…" He says it in a way that frightens Regina… frightens her thoughts, and makes her thin that Emma will be the one to pay the price. She swallows and doesn't look at Gold as her grins wickedly once more before leaving.

Emma kneels down and looks at her wife, "I'm not going anywhere, Babe. You've tried to get rid of me since the first day… it ain't gonna happen." She kisses her once more.

"You should call your father and start training with that weapon immediately." Is all Regina says in response.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Two weeks later, Mallory was walking home from a late night of planning with the rest of the crew that had formed to protect Regina, the baby and the good of the land from Rumpelstilskin and whomever else… She knows that Emma and Regina think there is another, but she won't say who.

She shakes her head to clear it and keeps walking… that is until she sees Mr. Gold himself under the dull light of the old library doors. He looks around for anyone looking back at him and Mallory makes sure to take cover. She watches as he walks into the closed off building and shuts the doors. She immediately pulls her phone out, "Yeah Sidney… are you still with the queen?... Gold just walked into the library… I don't know if that's significant, but I felt she should know… Okay thanks. Bye."

~0~0~0~0~0~

Mr. Gold gets the elevator up and running himself and makes his way down into the belly of the town. As the elevator slows to a stop he steps to the side and puts up a magical shield around himself. When the doors open, fire enters the lift as the dragon breathes with all her might, trying to kill whoever has intruded. When she stops, Gold walks out, "Hello, dearie." He cackles.

The dragon lifts a foot and tries to stomp him, but he sidesteps, "I was just wanting to tell you… everything is going according to plan… You were right, Regina's always been into women more… and there's one thing we didn't bet on…" He laughs again, "A magic baby!"

The dragon rears back and looks at him stupefied.

"I know. It's even better than we hoped for… Not only are they in true love, but they are so much so, they created a being!" He stares into the dragon's eyes, "She will be the easy one to kill! She's due in two weeks… that date sound familiar?" He smirks when the dragon blows fire in excitement.

"Tell me, just what do you plan to do to her?" Maleficent breathes fire once more, "She's trapped you down here like this for 30 years and that's all you're going to do?" The dragon screams, wings expanding to their entirety, "Oh, the magic baby? In front of her?" Gold cackles, "You haven't lost your venomous touch, have you?"

He moves back to the elevator shaft and Maleficent begins prancing around and running in circles, much like a dog, "You didn't think I was going to release you before I needed you, did you?" He smirks before the door shuts.

Maleficent is left to herself again, and she is furious. She lets out more angry screams and breathes fire until she's exhausted.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma finally gets the lovin' she has been wanting for two weeks. It had to wait until after the counsel meeting, but… damn, it was worth it.

As she is still between her wife's legs, but this time only staring at her naked belly and touching and caressing her baby, Regina starts speaking, "I'm worried, my love." Regina says in the quiet.

Emma knits her brows and props herself up so she can look over her stomach to her, "Why?"

"I'm worried I might lose you…" Regina says, "I'm worried I might die… I'm worried for her… for Chandler…" She grins.

"Baby… Chandler is going to be fine… I'm going to be fine… you're gonna be… a little exhausted after you push her out of you, but you're going to be fine…"

"I'll be week… and knowing Rumpel and Maleficent, that is when they will strike…"

"I will not let them hurt you." Emma says almost angry she is so serious.

"I'm not sure they'll give you the choice." Regina swallows hard.

Emma crawls up to her and kisses her, "No one is going to take me away from you. And they sure as hell won't take you away from me."

~0~0~0~0~0~

During the last two weeks Storybrooke once again becomes Fairytale land for the most part. There are minor changes, again like electricity, air condition and running water, but also like… food is still modern and delightful… there are still pizzas and burgers and pastas…. And all of this can still be found in a grocery store.. so that's even more delightful. More of the changes were the cars… The cars turned back into horses and buggies before everyone's eyes, much like Emma's sword did to Regina and Emma.

Emma trains daily with her father and 15 other expert swordsman, and she quickly rises to the point that she can beat all of their asses. Regina mainly worries and tries to plan alongside her best haters turned… indifferent acquaintances.

They all know the exact day that everything is to happen; this is why they are so surprised when Maleficent's roars have stopped invading the town, and Maleficent, the blonde witch in the flesh comes for a visit the day before…


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: Alright, just one more chapter closer… I know at least one of you is wondering about Belle… that will be explained at the end of the next chapter…**

Rumpel goes back to the library early the next morning. He of course checks on his beloved Belle and makes sure everything is perfect for her before he does his bidding, but it is time to unleash the beast… literally… He has teased her for too long anyways.

"Don't do it!" He yells as the doors start to open. The dragon just blows smoke in his face instead, "Classy." He calls up to her as he waves the air clean around him, "I've come to make you an offer."

The dragon cocks her head.

"I will give you the ability to go from witch to dragon, err…" He looks up, "Dragon to witch, more so… if you do one little teeny, tiny thing for me."

The dragon holds her breath and waits.

"I want you to go to Regina and _only_ threaten her… you cannot hurt her." Maleficent grumbles, "What do you want to do?" He asks.

Maleficent lies on her back dramatically and screeches.

"Ah, you want to speed things along, eh?" Rumpel only cackles, "Well, dearie, I think I can agree to that…" He takes a vile from his suit and uncorks it, "Here." He tosses it as far into the air as possible.

The dragon snaps at it and swallows. She instantly begins diminishing in size. She cracks her neck and back before tossing the vile back to Rumpel. She walks passed him and waves at her staff, making it come to her.

"My dear Maleficent…" Rumpel turns to her and follows her into the lift, "You do know what will happen should you not stick to the deal."

"Yes, of course dear Rumpel." She smiles at him as she decides the elevator is taking too long, "Don't wait up." She vanishes from the lift.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"No, you don't understand… the way he looked when he checked to see if anyone was watching… it was like watching evil in its prime… I have never been so scared from watching someone look around. That's not even something someone should be scared of…" Mallory insists.

She looks at the valiant group of members at the round table in the mansion turned castle—Everyone fighting for Snow White and Prince Charming's daughter and baking granddaughter had moved into the expansive building so they could hold these meetings.

"But what is in the library?" Charming asks.

"Yes, what is he going to do? Read us to death?" Grumpy jokes, causing most of the other forever-good members to laugh as well.

Mallory shakes her head, "Sometimes I wonder how people like you could ever triumph over pure evil such as him…" She shakes her head again, "In a way Her Majesty Regina has saved you from his wrath many, many times. She should be knighted." She rolls her eyes and turns to Sidney, "I wish you had your ability to see everything…" She ignores the protests of the dwarfs and a couple others she can't decipher.

Sidney grins back, "Actually… I do…It came back about a week ago…" He looks up, "Your many Majesties, my young prince…Dr. Whale, Red, Granny, Dwarfs, Geppetto, Pinocchio, Jiminy, and Queen of the fairies." He bows his head slightly, "Might I trouble someone to help me with this mirror?" He walks to the far end of the room where a mirror has been covered.

Pinocchio and Geppetto are up and helping him in an instant, both men curious and on Emma's side—so they can't help but believe Mallory and Sidney, "Thank you, sirs… Do you mind?" He gestures to them holding the mirror up for everyone. The father and son shake their heads. Sidney nods and unbuttons his cuffs then rolls up his sleeves, "Now… I can't just volunteer a vision, I have to be asked, or in my Queen's case, told to show you something…" He turns to the redhead, "Miss Mallory, if you please."

"Show me what Rumpel did in the library." She swallows hard.

The first thing anyone sees is fire enter the elevator shaft… then they see the beast that Rumpel stepped out to see.

"Dear gods…" Abigail says as she touches Frederick's forearm.

Cinderella takes Thomas's hand, "Is that what I think it is?" She asks.

"Who…" Mallory gulps.

"Who?" All royalty and dwarfs and (former) wolves and wood craftsman and newly reinstated crickets ask.

"Maleficent?" The blue fairy asks as she buzzes from her perch to the center of the table, staring at the dragon.

"Yes." Sidney answers.

The blue fairy turns to the rest of them, "This is far worse than we could have thought… Maleficent is just as evil as Rumpelstilskin… and she trained under Regina's mother… She knows all of her weaknesses." The blue fairy then turns to Sidney, "Has she been trapped in that form the whole time?"

Sidney only nods his head weakly.

The blue fairy closes her eyes to process it all, "She will want her revenge. And she won't stop until she gets it." She sighs, "We must act now and act fast… I'll gather the fairies and we will start putting a wall of protection around the castle…" She looks over to Red whose nose is in the air, "Red?"

"I wouldn't worry about that wall just yet… I need to check something out, don't plan or anything until I get back." She takes her cape off and walks to the main door of the room then takes off in a dead sprint once the doors are closed.

Dr. Whale turns to Sidney, "Show us what she smells."

Sidney puts his hand to the glass and everyone sees Maleficent with Emma and Regina, Regina screaming in pain. "She's in labor." Dr. Whale says hurriedly as he makes his own hasty exit. Sidney is hot on his heals.

"We have no time for planning. We only have time for action." Mallory says insistently.

The blue fairy nods, "I'm going to gather the fairies. I'll send Nova here to get orders, but I'll be with Flora, Fauna and Meriwether while Regina delivers." Her voice is hurried as well as she flies to the window then exits. The rest all look to Charming and Snow.

"Well… let's do what we do best, everyone…" Charming says as he leans on the table. Everyone is looking at him expectantly, "Let's destroy evil." His grin seemed to shine brighter with these three words.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma has just finished a long bout of training with one of the many royal guards who was 'the toughest in his homeland'. She rolls her eyes as she puts her sword above her head with both hands and stretches before delicately sheathing it once more, "Jeremy… it's been fun." She helps him up and signals for one of the nurses to come help him out.

She walks back to her quarters and sees Regina walking in slow, methodic circles, hands on her aching back. "Baby…" Emma hurries over to her and stops her, "What are you doing?" She asks as she leads her over to the bed, but Regina refuses to sit down and continues on, this time walking to and from her wife's open legs.

"Can a woman pace?"

"Not while as close to giving birth as you…" Emma jokes, "What if she falls out?"

Regina is unimpressed. She walks back into Emma's spread legs and stands there, "I think you of all people know that she won't just… fall out." She wants to shake her head at Emma's grin, but doesn't as she feels her wife's hands take over her hands' places on her back, "Ugggggghhhhhhhh." Regina moans out. She slumps forward so her hands were on Emma's shoulders, "I swear you have magic…"

"Nope… only a magic wife…" She kisses Regina's stomach, "And a magic baby." She massages Regina's lower back as best she can, wrapping her arms around her entirely. She kisses her stomach again, "Don't hurt your mommy so bad Chandler, alright?" She says into Regina's belly. She looks up at Regina whose eyes are tired, "Come on Honey… get into bed.. at the very least… let's take a nap." Emma suggests.

"There's no time! Don't you see? Today is the day." Regina panics.

"Hey, slow down, Babe…" Emma kisses her, "There's nothing we can do… we just have to hope… Alright?" She squeezes her hand and pulls her onto the bed. She gets Regina situated on her back, leaning against the headboard and kisses her temple, "We're going to get through this."

"Well isn't that… Charming." Maleficent says as she materializes in the far chair in the room, "You must take after your father." She stands.

Emma is up on her feet in no time. She draws her sword.

Maleficent puts up her hand, "Stand down, my pet… I've only come to congratulate my friend."

Emma is glaring, watching the other blonde woman carefully. She sheathes her sword, but subtly takes her dagger out and lines it with her sleeve. She crosses her arms as she keeps an eagle eye on the other magical woman in the room as she approaches her wife.

"My, my, you are quite the pregnant witch aren't you?" Maleficent reaches out and strokes the side of Regina's stomach, "Magical babies have always made women fatter don't you think?" She sneers at the other witch.

Regina only flares her nostrils and looks to Emma. Emma watches intently and as soon as Maleficent's hand turned over so that her palm was up and the back of her fingers were on a downward stroke, she took the dagger and sliced the blonde witch's palm open.

Maleficent stares at the slice in her palm for a moment then takes her hand off and looks at the other blonde, "Oh," she purses her lips to a pout.

"Touch her again, I'll make sure that hand is completely gone." Emma says as she moves between Maleficent and Regina.

"So sorry." Maleficent pouts even more before taking a step back and looking at Regina, "I'd have thought you would have trained her by now." Emma opens her mouth to retaliate in some way when Maleficent presses her lip against her mouth, "Hush, my pet. I don't mean any harm when I say that. Do I, Regina?" Regina doesn't know how to answer. Maleficent moves around Emma and presses her hand against Regina's swollen belly once more, "I do hope this little bundle is everything you've ever hoped for. Because when she's out…" Maleficent moves extremely close to Regina's face. She lets her nose brush against Regina's cheek as she whispers, "You. Will. Die."

Suddenly, Regina begins to feel the first of many labor pains. She cries out as Maleficent cackles and walks out of the room.

Emma hears Maleficent's words. She stays until the pain subsides, and kisses Regina, "I won't let you die. You're not allowed to. You hear me?" She kisses her again. Regina nods already tired of labor. Emma kisses her again before she runs out into the hall.

She sees Maleficent not walking, but gliding down the hallway. "HEY!" She yells as she runs after her. Maleficent stops and doesn't turn or anything… just stops.

Emma holds tighter to the handle of her dagger as she approaches. Once she gets to her, she puts it against the witch's neck. She's huffing and showing her teeth almost like a dog… or Red, "Give me one reason I shouldn't kill you right now."

Maleficent smirks, exposing her neck even more, like it's all a game of truth or dare and she knows Emma will cower away, as she says, "Your wife needs you."

Regina's cry to her wife, "EMMMAAAA!" Can be heard clear across town, let alone the castle.

Emma reluctantly pulls away, "If you hurt her, if you hurt anyone I love I will have your head on a platter and your heart crushed to dust." She huffs one breath before spitting, "This is not over."

"I'm shaking in my royal garb." Maleficent can spit just as well as the savior it seems, "And you're right. It's not. I would be careful of your baby as well as your wife… one of them will die. I, of course am rooting for the latter, but either way…" Her smirk could not have been more livid.

Emma snarls and says nothing. She runs when she hears Regina's scream again. "I'm coming, Baby!" She yells to the door that she's quickly approaching.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Red tears down the hallway. She feels the adrenaline kicking in and feels her body begin to shift into its canine form. She lets out a growl of a chuckle as she lands on all fours and takes off even faster. She hears Emma's cry to her wife, knowing that Emma probably tried to deal with the woman and herself and couldn't protect her wife like she wanted to makes Red see… well, see red…

Once she gets to Maleficent, she slows to a trot, knowing the woman is who she is… she's cautious.

"Yes," Maleficent pastes a smile on her face, turns around and kneels to Red, "Come here, my pet."

Red snarls and starts growling.

"Oh, now…" the blonde witch scolds.

Before Maleficent can come up with the next witty thing to say, Red starts walking toward her once more… the hair on her back stands on end, her teeth shiny and white and each is plainly visible. She starts snapping at the blonde as she nears her.

"Alright. Alright." Maleficent raises her hands in surrender, "I'm leaving…" She walks to the doorway of the front door then turn back to Red, "You know… If I did my morphing trick you would soil the floor."

Red growls once more and snaps at the woman's dress, tearing it for good measure. Her head jerking back and forth quickly to really desecrate the evil woman and her ugly taste in clothes.

Maleficent is unimpressed. She looks at the huge chunk of fabric in Red's mouth then looks at the wolf's eyes, "You know… If I hadn't been trapped as that damn dragon for 30 years, I would eat you now… get you good and out of my way for later…" She glares before she walks out of the castle.

Red jumps up and pushes the door closed as she's morphing back. She locks the door once her opposable thumbs come back, and then takes the fabric from her mouth. She rolls her eyes and throws it on the ground.


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: I do not apologize for the Charlie's Angels movie reference… you'll know it when you see it, and if you haven't for some reason seen that movie it won't make any difference… But I do not apologize, haha… I've been having a Drew Barrymore marathon… Enjoy:**

When Emma gets back to the room, she finds that Dr. Whale and Sidney are both there. She turns to Dr. Whale who is getting everything ready, "What's Sidney doing here?"

"He's our eyes and ears… He has the ability to everything as the mirror did; he can show us by touch a mirror's glass. The Queen requested he stayed." Dr. Whale whispers back then hurriedly finishes getting everything out in the order that he will need it.

Emma nods and watches the former genie and her wife.

Sidney is knelt down at his queen's side almost like he's listening to her dying wish, "Is there anything you would like to see, My Queen?"

She lets a tear fall and puts a hand to his cheek, "Please…" She takes a ragged breath, "Please tell me Henry is alright."

Sidney nods and gets up, walks over to the vanity and brings back the mirror he was originally trapped in. He puts his hand to it and shows Henry trying to suit up in armor and padding, and grab a sword along side his grandparents, "I'm not a little kid anymore! I'm thirteen!" He says sternly, "And you need all the help you can get!"

Regina lets tears fall as she touches the glass too then another pain comes and Emma is at her side immediately, "Hey, hey, baby…. It's okay… Henry's going to be okay…" Regina only looks up to her wife and nods then leans up for a kiss to sooth the pain she's in.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Henry straps on a belt and sheath against his grandparents' continuous protests, "You might be protecting your daughter and granddaughter, but I have to protect my mothers and sister! So I suggest you two stop telling me to stop and get on with your own armor! Besides! The knights know I can fight! They can vouch! I've been training under them secretly for weeks now!"

Nova flies into the room with a basket in hand, "There isn't much time… they're on their way. We saw them on our way here."

"Then put up the wall the blue fairy told you to put up! It's the only way of delay we have!" Henry orders then shoves passed Snow and James.

Snow James and Nova stare at each other a moment before James says, "You heard the boy!" Then stalks out of the room as well.

"Nova… what is that basket for?" Nova looks at the basket now covered in her fairy dust then back to Snow, "Your Majesty, it's baby Chandler's last chance of protection. When the blue fairy came to gather us, she thought it best to bring… and hope we don't have to use it…"

Snow looked down at the basket then up to the fairy, "Please… if it comes down do it… keep her safe."

~0~0~0~0~0~

A few hours later, the blue fairy, Flora, Fauna and Meriwether are all in the room protecting the other four people. And it is in an instant of pacing that Sidney thinks he's figured out their plan, "My Queen… Princess… I have bad news, but it must be shared."

He first shows Maleficent and Emma from earlier…about the baby. Then he shows them Maleficent and Rumpel sitting in Rumpel's kitchen, "I simply told her that it's going to be her wife or her baby… I didn't tell her we would easily kill them both." Maleficent looks around the room and outside and sees no one else around, "Have you sent the army already?" She asks him as she strokes a finger over the glass orb atop her staff.

"Of course dearie!" Rumpel jumps in a chair and squats, "We can't have a finale without a whole show before it!" He cackles.

Regina pulls Emma harshly by the neckline of her shirt, "We have to protect her!" She growls at her wife.

"I know babe… I know." Emma kisses her temple, trying to calm her. She looks to the blue fairy, "There has to be something we can do! Is there like… another magical tree thing like the one I was shoved into? There's gotta be something!"

Before the fairy can answer, there is a knock on the door, Ella and Thomas come in.

"We've pulled every royal guard we could put together." Thomas starts, "We're going out to join them now, but I know Snow would want you all to know our plans precisely…" he looks over to Sidney, "And even though you have eyes and ears, we wanted you all to hear it from one of us…"

Ella feels the need to add, "Yes, and we decided to take that role seeing that everyone you two love are out on the front line… James, Snow, Mallory, Geppetto, Pinocchio, Kathryn, Frederick, Red, Granny…" She paused, "And Henry was the first one out there." She spoke softly. If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn't have believed it. She doesn't know what else to say and she knows she's needed so she and Thomas make their exit.

Regina and Emma look at each other. Emma is about to whisper words of encouragement, but the blue fairy interrupts them, "I hear your wish." She says, "And I see your faces… He won't be hurt. Flora, Fauna, and Meriwether will easily protect you until…" She looks down then up, "Well, fairy dust can only do so much, and if we are needed to protect the baby… that is where they will need to go…"

Regina knowing that the fairy is saying that once she has Chandler the protective force will only stay around the baby and Regina will be… shit out of luck. She nods and smiles meekly, "Fine. Just protect our children… Please."

The blue fairy takes just a split second to marvel at Regina's willingness to lose every single ounce of protection—the willingness she has to lose her life—before she turns to the others, "Fairies, I am going to give Henry the sword of truth and the shield of strength. I fear I won't be back in time to help. Baby Chandler must be put in the basket Nova brought."

"Wait, wait, wait… basket? What basket?" Emma asked as she held onto her wife's hand.

"I had Nova bring the basket that was to be the top of your bassinet when you were born. Once she's place in the basket, all of the fairies, including myself will be able to protect her… it's almost like she'll be floating in a magical river until we get her to the safest possible place…"

"Basket, river, baby, protection… this is straight up Exodus shit!" Emma shakes her head, "Fuck it! Just… whatever keeps her and Regina safe!" The blonde pleads.

The blue fairy is about to protest, but Regina makes a subtle movement for her not to say anything further, instead she says, "I must get to Henry. Fairies, I'll meet you in the counsel room."

"We're going to have to make the circle of protection smaller…" Fauna looks to the other two.

They both nod. All of them move in to strengthen the circle, so it's just protecting around the bed.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Henry runs out of the castle before his grandparents can stop him. He sees Red, Granny, Pinocchio, Geppetto, Mallory, Frederick, Abigail and the dwarfs all out there. They are gathered in a group, waiting on the final three before they all go into battle.

He sees Pinocchio reach for the bracelet he wears… and he sees the man start to unravel the strings, "I thought Pinocchio didn't have strings… Isn't that the point of the story? That you're real?"

Pinocchio grins, "Oh I have strings… They're magical strings. They can wound, kill and prevent any magic from a person… the only time I'm to ever use them is in time of crisis… I think the blue fairy could agree that this is a time of crisis…" He grins, "The blue fairy gave us the rules, but Papa showed me how to use them and now they're the only protection I'll ever need."

"And what is your Papa going to do to protect himself?" Henry looks up at the other man.

"Have you ever seen Thor?" Henry's jaw drops, "Give my father a mallet and he could probably take the god of thunder in a duel."

Henry moves on, "You're going to turn into a wolf again, aren't you?"

"Of course." Red smirks then puts her arm around her grandmother's shoulder, "And Granny here has enough ammo to take on the entire army… She never misses."

Henry turns to Mallory now, "What do you do?" He asks the redhead seeing that she has no weapon and no shield.

"Well…" She purses her lips, "I'm better with hand to hand combat." She shrugs, "I once beat a room filled with men that had me tied to a chair with my hands tied behind my back."

"How did you do that?"

"Well…" She thought, "I got one of them to help me out of my chair, then I leap-frogged over another to break the third's nose… And, well, I just beat the other's down. By the time I was done, all of them were face down on the floor… I moonwalked out of there." She grins down at Henry's amazement.

"Why were you tied to a chair?" Henry's inquisitive nature didn't miss the fact that she had been a simple house servant for almost her entire life.

"Well… when you worked for your mother in the other world… people stopped at nothing to try to get the upper hand…" It is all she will ever say on the matter.

Henry nods, knowing he won't get much more from her. He turns to see the dwarfs all donning helmets and gripping their pickaxes. Henry doesn't have to say anything to them. He just grins and nods, telling them how cool they look to him.

He turns for a final time. to see his grandparents, Ella, Thomas, Kathryn and Frederick, "I assume you all are the same as me? Shields and swords?"

"Yes." Frederick nodded, "We are not special in any way…"

"You're all royal…" Henry points out.

"I guess you have me there."

They hear the cry that the enemy has arrived and Henry sprints to the front of the line.

"HENRY!" Red yells after him. She rolls her eyes and starts to change.

Pinocchio, Geppetto, Mallory and Granny have all started after the young prince. Snow and James are hot on their heels as wolf-Red dashes passed them all to keep up with the boy.

"Ella! Thomas!" James looks over his shoulder.

"We're going to tell them!" Ella nods, telling James to hurry on.

By the time Ella and Thomas get to the front line with everyone else it feels as if the enemy has the ability to come at them at all directions. The royal guards and the twelve people out fighting for the good of the evil queen have been separated into pods.

The dwarfs are all in a circle, backs to each other. They swipe and hit and punch and give blows to each and every evil knight that approaches.

Pinocchio runs and jumps off a fallen tree. He throws one end of his magical string around the neck of one of the many evil knights they are fighting; as the thrown end comes back into his other hand, he kicks his feet down on the enemy's back and pulls, effectively decapitating him. He looks around and sees another about to strike wolf-Red's back as she rips apart a third. He throws one end out and strikes the man's face, causing him to fall back in a panic and drop his sword. Wolf-Red at this point turns and growls at the knight who is scooting back, and probably soiling himself, in fear.

Granny has climbed a tree and found a perfect perch. She is able to see over almost everything. She sees a few of the evil knights try to start climbing the tree as well; she simply points the crossbow directly beneath her and ends their attempts with one arrow.

Geppetto and Mallory have been working together nicely. Geppetto's mallet has part of his son's magical string tied to it. He uses it strictly for retraction purposes… not as a weapon as his son. While Geppetto throws his mallet like a boomerang, Mallory is sure to take on anyone that gets to close him. They move around each other as if they are dancing. Geppetto makes the first move, taking the lead, and then Mallory makes her, following suit.

Kathryn, Snow, James, and Frederick are all fighting as a foursome. They can each tell when one is in trouble and quickly they all help fend off the evil knights until they can handle it once more.

Snow looks around for her grandson. Last she had seen him, he was with Red. He is still close to her, but they have started moving further apart. "RED!" She yells trying to get the wolf's attention, but she's too busy clawing at a knight that scratched her to hear.

Ella, seeing this as she and Thomas approach hits his arm then moves, showing him where they need to be. They work their way over to him, and see him run one knight through and kick him over, throw his shield up in defense of an oncoming attack then swipe his sword at the attacker's legs causing him to fall on his back. He then waste's no time running him through as well.

Henry looks up to see his grandparent's best friend coming to help him out. He is tiring quickly and prays for more help. This is when he sees the blue fairy approach him. "Henry!" She calls before she hits his current sword and shield with fairy dust, making them disappear before she hits his hand and forearm, "This is the shield of strength and the sword of truth… you cannot get hurt while you use these…" She explains. "Your mothers wished for your protection."

He smiles up at her, "Thank you." He smiles.

Red has come back to Henry and Mallory is watching the wolf, child and fairy from the corner of her eye. She feels as though she will be needed soon. Snow felt the same at the first sight of blue light. It is when they see another blue light fly from the bedroom that Regina and Emma are in do they all know something bad has happened.

"James! I must go see what I can do!" Snow points to the blue fairy on the field and the other blue fairy, Meriwether, fly up to the fairies' shield. He nods to his wife then kicks a knight down with a grunt.

Mallory looks at the blue fairy's face when Meriwether leaves; it's not good, "Geppetto my friend? You have been an excellent partner in fighting, but I must bid you adieu… I fear I might be needed elsewhere."

"Of course, Miss Mallory. It has been a pleasure." He has enough time to kiss the girl's hand before he needs to throw his mallet again.

"Why is she leaving too?" Henry asks.

"I don't know, but I fear it can't be good." the blue fairy starts to make her way up into the air, "I must go. We're going to have to go to plan B."

Henry turns to the giant wolf that jumped an approaching knight, "Red!"

She turns back around and looks at him with a, "Woof!" She asks what she needs to do.

"We have to go help my moms!"

With another, "Woof!" She and Henry start making their way back to the castle, back under protection… or so they thought.

~0~0~0~0~0~

One of Maleficent's goons has somehow made it into the castle. He barged into the room, but seemed confused to be there as well.

The three fairies begin forming a shield directly around Regina as Emma walks over to him… he's pig like and really, very stupid, but somehow he's gotten in.

"How did you get in?" the blonde punches him in the face.

"Duh, I don't know," He snorts, "Alls I know is the queen told me I was gunna scare the princess and that other queen. Hey! You're the princess…" He starts to huff and puff and grumble then draws his sword.

He lunges, scratching Emma across her cheek, but Emma is still two, three steps ahead of him and deflects his next swing. She then takes her dagger and shoves it as hard as she can up from under his chin effectively killing him immediately.

"Sidney, how did he get in?" Regina looks at him pleadingly.

He touches the screen and shows them.

"Oh gods…" Fauna breathes, "There's a hole in the shield." She turns to her youngest sister, "Meriwether!"

"On it!" Meriwether heads to the window. She turns back only once to make sure that her sisters can protect Regina at least until the baby comes before she flies from the window up to where the rest of the fairies are trying their best to protect the castle completely.

~0~0~0~0~0~

As soon as Henry, Red, Mallory and Snow were under the protection of the fairies they took a moment to rest.

Snow looks over to her best friend in wolf form, "You make sure he stays protected." Red walks over to her and nuzzles her hand the way most dogs ask to be pet. Snow smiles and bends to be face to face with her, "Thank you." She smiles then looks up at Mallory and Henry, "You all continue on… I have something I need to do."

"Grandma, what…?" Henry takes a few steps after her, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to protect the soon to be most precious part of this family." Is all she says before she begins a steady run around castle grounds and into the woods that the army was not coming from.

Henry turns to Red, "How is she going to protect Chandler in the woods?"

Red runs in a tight circle, almost like she's chasing her tail, then stretches her paws out in front of her, leans down over them and looks back at Henry innocently.

Mallory looks at him, "I don't think she knows… come on." She says. "We must be quieter than death."

~0~0~0~0~0~

Now… Sidney has been keeping tabs on everyone. He almost feels as if he is a sports announcer, giving the queen and princess play by plays. He can see these three move off and he knits his brows, wondering what Snow could possibly he doing. He knows not to say anything to his queen until he is certain because he does not want to distress her or her bride any further.

He looks up and sees Regina reach her hand out for Emma as she wipes the blade of her dagger. Emma drops the towel she is using and is at her side immediately, "What? What Honey?" the blonde asks as she takes Regina's hand and stares longingly into her eyes.

Everyone else in the room realizes already that this conversation is not for their ears and they do their best to avert their eyes and ears, but still concentrate on their tasks.

"I want her to have your family's name." Regina swallows hard.

Emma knits her brows, "What are you talking about?"

"Chandler. I want her to have your family's name… not mine." Regina takes a ragged breath, "I want you to take care of her and love her like the two of us would together."

Emma interrupts her, "Regina, why are you talking like this."

"Because Emma… I'm going to die."

"No—!"

"I'm going to die, Emma—"

"NO! NO! No you're not gonna die! You're not gonna die." Emma's voice has cracked through her tantrum and flat out refusal of her wife's words.

Regina sighs and stares into her eyes, "Emma, you heard Maleficent. She is coming after me personally. If she doesn't get me, someone working for her will. I'm going to be weak after I have her. I'm going to be powerless." She tries to lay down the facts.

Emma shakes her head, "No—"

"Yes, now stop being so damn stubborn and listen to me!" Regina takes Emma's face in her hands, "If Chandler has powers…. You make sure she is loved. You make sure she uses them for only good. You make… You make—OH! Gods damn it! That fucking hurts!" Regina closes her eyes in pain. Dr. Whale begins investigating, still keeping out of their personal conversation, "You make sure that she knows I love her too… Alright?"

"No." Emma says as she presses her forehead against Regina's. "I'll make sure to be around when you have those talks with her. I'll make sure that she's loved on my end… I'll even agree that she just take my family's name… but I will not make sure that she knows you love her and I will not look into her magical ability. I won't. Because that's your job. It's your job Regina!" She says through gritted teeth, "God damn it… You aren't going to die! I'm not going to let that happen! You hear me?" Emma asks as she leaks tears all over Regina's already tear stained face. "You hear me?" She asks again.

"Emma…"

It's one final protest Regina is trying to make, but she's interrupted. "It's time to push." Dr. Whale declares.

"Come on Baby!" Emma encourages Regina through a scream.

Sidney searches for Snow once more and sees that she is at a small cabin that he has never before seen. He sees her kneel down and close her eyes as if in prayer. Then he sees the blue fairy on the other end of the castle, "I hear your wish… and I thank you for it." She says.

Then, things start to look really bad. He sees Belle ninja-ing her way through the castle…and of course, Henry, Wolf-Red and Mallory trying to stay out of sight but follow her.

Chandler is born and swaddled. She's given to her mothers and Regina looks at Emma. She looks at what she is wearing, she looks at the scratch on Emma's face and she looks at Chandler. Then she looks over to the painting she painted so long ago that seemed to just be taking up room at this point as Regina had been trying to figure out why it was painted as it was. Then she looks back to her wife, "Emma…"

Emma looks down into Regina's eyes. She looks over at the second painting she'd gotten from the woman next to her, "Well, what do you know…" Emma says as she looks down at her armor and touches her cheek… the only mark the pig gave her, "Looks like that painting oh so long ago wasn't combining the present and past, but was predicting the future as well…It knew you were going to tell me everything then, huh?" Emma asks. The only thing Regina can do is nod. Emma leans down, "I love you." She kisses her lips then their baby's forehead.

Regina put a hand to Emma's face, "No matter what happens… you've already fulfilled your destiny.." She says through a teary gaze and pulls her in once more.

"My Queen, I don't want to interrupt, but I have more news both good and bad. Chandler will be fine, but—" Before he can tell them about the woman possessed, Belle comes in… she's obviously on the dark side.

**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!**


	18. Chapter 18

**AN: So…. How man of you noticed that the Avengers and Spiderman made an appearance last chapter? I know at least once of you did (dreams and fantasies)… I would like to let you all know, that I didn't even realize I had done it until after the scene was written… and then I forgot to do this at the end of the last chapter, so.. here it is now… credit to the Avengers and Spiderman and that chick Abby from Elektra (the movie) that uses the necklaces for getting me through the battle… thank you superheroes. I do not know what I would do without you… Now… please enjoy!**

Belle walks in looks around. She sees a sheath and sword lying on a far table and walks over that direction.

"Belle?" Emma asks walking over to her hesitantly, hardly recognizing the auburn-haired girl. Belle simply smirks before she takes the sword from the sheath and turns around, bringing it down forcefully. Emma, already unsheathed puts her sword up in defense and stares at the girl, "What the hell is wrong with you?" She asks.

"Nothing." Belle breathes out with a smile, "I just realized that the reason I love evil is because I _am_ evil." She pulls from Emma and spins before coming at her again.

Emma deflects and stares, "No! You're not in love with evil Belle… you're in love with an evil person… but inside every person there is good and evil. You're not in love with the evil side of him Belle… you've seen passed it, just like I saw passed Regina…"

"No!" She hissed, "I am it!" She grins.

"What the fuck!"

Regina holds Chandler closely to her, "Emma! She's under a spell!" She yells from the bed.

"Well how does she get… above a spell?" Emma turns to her wife a moment, before parrying with the woman some more.

Regina looks at her, "I fear the only way to get out of this one, if it's the one I think it is, is by force…"

"Force? Like Darth Vader force?"

"No like… baseball bat to the head force… blunt force."

Emma nodded, "I'm wildly okay with that." She ducked as Belle took another swing at her, then sheathes her sword, stands back up and punches Belle twice in the face as hard as she can.

Belle immediately stops and shakes her head she looks down and sees what is in her hands. She sees Emma and is confused, "What just happened."

"I popped you in the nose… because you tried to decapitate me with a sword… are you okay?" Emma asks.

"Yeah…" Belle then remembers how she came to be under the spell, "It's Maleficent… she…"

"Is the real evil one… aside from your boyfriend, we know." Emma rolls her eyes.

Belle bites her lip, not knowing what to do.

Emma takes in a large breath and stares at her sadly, "If he really loves you, he'll come around… that's what I was trying to tell you before… when you thought you were evil…"

Henry, wolf-Red and Mallory all barge into the room. wolf-Red and Mallory immediately run over to Belle, knowing that she's bad now—"HEY!" Emma yells at them, "She's fine now." She gives the two women a stern look. She looks at Henry then hugs him tight. Then, she walks over to her wife and kisses her forehead.

Henry walks over to and watches Emma take Chandler from his mom. And when she presses their foreheads against each other he knows that there's something neither of them are telling him. He watches as Emma gives an Eskimo kiss before a deep, longing, utterly in love, fully passionate kiss… normally, he'd be disgusted, but now… he is just happy that his family is alright. He watches as Emma whispers words of love, no doubt, and Regina nod before his blonde mother turns back to him, "Kid…" She shakes her head not knowing what to say.

He hugs her and nods, knowing what she's feeling, "I know Emma." He looks up at her then down at his baby sister, really taking her in for the first time.

Sidney walks back over to report, "The army is invading. We have to get Chandler out of here now."

"Okay. Sidney. You stay here… protect her. You are the only one I trust." She says seriously.

"Of course Princess." He nods.

Emma looks at her son, "Henry?" She hugs him tight and then looks at the other six parties—Dr. Whale whom is in the midst of putting protective padding on and a grabbing the sword Belle had been using—in the room, "Everyone else, I need you guys to help keep them all out of this room… that is the most important thing… out of this room!" She says with a fierceness. She then looks up at Flora and Fauna, "I assume you two have to come with me?"

They nod.

Emma kisses Regina once more, "I love you."

"I love you too, Darling." Regina takes her face in her hands and kisses her three more times then leans down and kisses Chandler. She gestures Henry over to her and takes his face as well, "You are the strongest, smartest, nicest, toughest, most curious young man in the world." She says with tears in her eyes, "No matter what you've thought, I have _always_ loved you. And I always will love you."

"I know, Mom." He says in reply.

"I love you, Henry."

"I love you too, mom." He leans in and kisses her cheek.

"We have to go." Emma says quietly as she takes her wife's hand and kisses it before she tucks Chandler tighter to her and runs out of the room with Henry, Dr. Whale, Belle, wolf-Red, Mallory and the fairies.

"Where are we putting Chandler?" Belle asks.

"The fairies are taking her." Is Emma's response, "Don't tell Gold."

"You have my word, Emma." She nods.

"You two go that way," She points at Dr. Whale and Belle, "You three, that way, and warn me if there's anyone coming." Emma orders as she starts running for the room at the end of the hallway.

Three guards come for her and she defeats them just as her father did. She deflects a sword right as it is about to hit Chandler. She then kicks the knight and runs him through. She turns the handle around as she pulls it from the now limp body and shoves it has hard as she can behind her effectively taking the second brute out. She pulls her sword free once more and spins low on the ground, knocking the third one's feet from under him. He lands on his head and is obviously not coming to for a while. She continues on.

She feels as if she is taking forever, but she is probably to the end of the hallway and in the counsel room. Emma kicks the door shut behind her when she sees the blue fairy and the glowing basket.

"We must hurry." The blue fairy says, "We have the perfect place for her… Your mother will be there to help take care of her. We will tell her when it's safe to come back, no worries."

Emma looks at the blue fairy and nods, "Thank you." She says quietly, "How is she going to get there without being seeing? You guys are all glowy and the magic is like… fuckin' goldenrod…"

"No one can see this but you, your mother and your wife." The blue fairy explains, "We really must go…"

"Can I just have a minute more?" Emma pleads, "Please?"

~0~0~0~0~0~

Regina whimpers as Emma leaves. Sidney takes her hand, "It will be alright, My Queen. Have faith in your princess."

Regina smiles at him, "Thank you, Genie." She calls him by his real name.

The Genie nods and before he can even comprehend what is happening, Maleficent and Rumple are both in the room, "How did you get in?" He demands, then knits his brows, "How did I not see them?" He questions under his breath.

"Shut up, Genie." Maleficent waves her hand and the Genie finds himself trapped in the many mirrors once more. "I have always found him quite annoying. How you were able to live everyday with that thing… I can only imagine." She shudders, then smiles that wicked smile, "How are you dear?"

Regina only swallows the lump in her throat. She says nothing, but looks at them with all the strength and courage she can muster in that moment.

The Genie knows he must act fast. He goes to the counsel room, "EMMA!" He cries at her, but she can't hear him. He tries and tries as he watches Emma kiss Chandlers cheek and forehead before putting her in the bassinet and staying there after she was vanished from sight.

"EMMA!" He yells again.

Emma stops her run to the door dead in her tracks and turns to the mirror in the room. She stares for all of half a second before she screams, "FUCK!" Then takes off down the hall once more in a dead sprint—the fastest fucking sprint she's ever sprinted in her life.

"Rumpelstilskin and Maleficent are both in there. I could do nothing… I didn't see it coming! I'm sorry Emma!"

Emma grunts in frustration, "Show her to me!" she commands.

She sees Rumple take the dagger that she knows controls him and stab her with it. She can hear Regina's scream from where she is and it takes everything in her not to keel over right there as she feels the pain of loss… the pain of losing Regina. But she presses on faster, if that is possible, and she sees Maleficent smile as she catches a single drop of blood in a tiny potion bottle filled with something else.

Emma is finally there and busts into the room and without warning launches her dagger at the two of them. Maleficent's hand… the one that was holding the bottle is severed completely.

"Well, you weren't lying when you said you'd cut it off." Maleficent says as she bends down and takes the vile then puts securely between her breasts, "But, Dear… that was a big mistake." She grins evilly as her head starts rolling and she begins to turn into a dragon.

Emma's jaw drops and Rumple is suddenly next to her, "This is my favorite part." He chuckles that disgusting chuckle and jumps forward throwing his hands out, as if presenting Maleficent to the world, "The Grand Finale!" he yells in excitement. Then gets up in her business and whispers, "This is what you were born for… Destroy the curse. Kill the beast and destroy the curse!" He starts chanting and jumping around, "Kill the beast. Destroy the curse. Kill the beast. Destroy the curse."

Emma looks between Maleficent, who is snapping at the window where some of the royal guard is trying to get in to help, and Rumple, who is jumping around like a kid that's eaten too much cotton candy and pretending to direct using his dagger as a baton.

She looks over to Regina and walks over to her. She sits on the bed and strokes her hair out of the way, curling it behind the brunette's ear. She's trying so hard to keep her tears at bay, but seeing Regina's lifeless body is too much and tears spill over despite her protests. She wipes her eyes and nose with her sleeve and stares at her, asking her what she's supposed to do. She tries true loves kiss: The most powerful of all magic.

"That's not going to work this time, Dearie." Rumpel says as he stands next to her.

Emma ignores him and tries again.

"She was stabbed with this." He presents his dagger to her, "There was no magic used. We didn't need it." He is talking and using his hands animatedly, "She was much to week to fight. She's dead. Her heart is dust."

Emma tries again. Then again… and again… and twice more after that. She now knows who the real beast is and turns around with a furious flourish. She grabs his hand directs the dagger to his heart, "You killed her. You killed her with this. Now… Now you're going to kill yourself." She says as she makes him shove the dagger into his own heart, never touching the hilt or the blade, so as far as the dagger knew… it was him.

Maleficent sees this and calms back down from breathing fire, "Well, dear that was quite a show. You're forgetting one thing… You can't win. Your happiness is destroyed. Evil finally triumphs."

"RUMPELSTILSKIN!" Belle has come back into the room.

"MOM!" Henry cries and runs to the bed. Tears spring to his eyes and he feels hands on him, trying to pull him away from his mother. "NO! She can't die! She's my mom! She didn't get her happily ever after!"

"Henry." The calm, low voice of his grandfather pulls his eyes from Regina, "Henry, you have to think about this… You are the only one that knows what to do now… Emma is still alive there has to be something that can bring her back…"

Henry knits his brows as he stares at Charming, trying to think. As this is happening, the rest of 'the counsel' come into the room, all of them quiet and head bowed as they realize they have all failed to save everyone.

Belle looks around, teary-eyed then kneels before Rumpel and kisses him.

The room silences and watches as his skin becomes normal and the dagger seems to remove itself then seemingly self-destructs. He sits up, and looks at Belle touches her face, then over to Emma and to the bed, "There is a way." He says.

Henry realizes immediately after Rumpel's words that he's right, and he knows exactly what it is.

Emma turns to Maleficent, "You were saying? About evil winning?" Her nostrils flare at the positively obnoxious woman before her.

She gets her sword and is about to strike Maleficent dead, "Wait! You need me in order to bring her back."

"She's telling the truth, Emma… She has to be alive in order for Mom to come back because it was by her and Rumpel's hand that she died…"

Emma glowers at Maleficent, "Well… let's get to it, shall we?"

"We have to go to the pond." Henry says.

"The pond?" Charming looks at his grandson.

"Yeah… the pond that you went to, to get the water for Frederick and Grandma… Only… after you left and defeated that creature, it turned into something…very bad…"


	19. Chapter 19

"…it turned into something… very bad…"

"Do you know where the pond is, Henry?" Emma asks him.

"Yeah… it's where the well was." He says as he walks forward and takes his remaining mother's hand.

"They have to come with us." He gestures to Rumpel and Maleficent.

"Why?" Emma growls.

"Because that vile that's…" He points to the vile peeking out of Maleficent's cleavage, "Right there… One of them has to pour it in the pond."

"How do you know this?" Emma turns to look at her son.

"Because while you and mom have been worried about Chandler and what is actually going to happen, I've been reading everything I can to help try and figure it out!"

Emma grins at him and hugs him tight, "You have no idea how valuable you are." She whispers to him before she turns to Maleficent and then everyone else, "Let's go to this… pond, shall we?"

Maleficent bends down to pick up her lost hand. She sees a sword stab through it and looks up at the owner, "My hand if you please?" she asks angrily.

"My wife! If you please." Emma snarls before she puts the hand in the offered satchel that Mallory has, "I get my wife back… I'll consider giving you your hand back." She looks back to see her father, "Are you not coming?" she asks him.

"I've been there before… what's really changed?" He tries to avoid the question.

"Dad…?"

"Forgive me for not believing Rumpelstilskin and Maleficent… I just feel like there's something afoot, and I'd like to stay here in case they've planned something else…" He says quietly.

Emma nods and then hugs him, "Thank you, daddy."

"You're welcome." His hand lands on her head then falls to her back, "You're welcome." He whispers again.

~0~0~0~0~0~

They all walk through town to the pond. They see a dock, but only Maleficent, Rumple and Emma walk out on it. Everyone else stays behind.

Henry is standing in front of Pinocchio. He whispers up to him, "You said the blue fairy made your strings expel magic from what they're wrapped around?"

"Yeah." Pinocchio replies, already knowing where Henry is going with this.

"So… if you wrapped your strings around their wrists?" are Henry's next words, "Even Rumple…. Something makes me feel… off."

"I got you my good prince." He nods, "We just have to wait for the right time…"

Emma, Maleficent and Rumple stand on the dock for a moment or two, neither saying anything, "So what is in here? Some monster thing bigger than the one my dad defeated?"

"That's not it at all…" Maleficent says as she takes the vile from her breast, flips the cap off and pours it into the pond.

The drop of blood plus the potion itself, once in the water materializes into none other than the 'evil' queen, Regina Mills. Emma gasps and lays out on the dock shoving her hand into the water to reach for her. Regina reaches back but is out of reach and begins to float towards the middle of the pond, then just kind of floats in a circle the whole time trying to swim back, but unable to.

As soon as Emma's hand hit the water she knew something was going to happen… Henry wouldn't have said it had turned into something bad if the pond wasn't bad, but that didn't stop her from reaching despite. When she removes her hand she finds it aged… and it hurt like hell.

"Oh did we forget to mention that you'll die before you get to her?" Rumpel says.

Emma turns around shocked to find that he is gold and gross again, "Oh yeah… I can't kill myself…" His eyes were bright with excitement and frustration, "That's not how it works."

"All that?" Emma starts.

"A trick for the eyes." He grins and laughs.

"Rumple…" Belle's voice is broken.

Rumpel turns to her, "This is the real me dearie… what you think you see… he's dead."

Belle holds herself together. She feels a reassuring hand on her back and gives a silent thanks to Dr. Whale.

Emma turns from the golden man and looks down at Regina as she floats around the middle of the pond, "What happens when I get to her?"

"You won't." Maleficent whispers in her ear.

"What happens when I do?" She looks at them both as they look at each other.

"Nothing." Rumple starts, "That we know of."

"You're not going to get to her…"

"Emma if you get to her, we win…" She hears Henry's voice.

"Silence child!" Maleficent starts, "That's not true… at least it's never been proven… no one's ever survived…" She hisses in her ear.

Emma smirks then acts like she's going to shove Maleficent in before she _swan_ dives gracefully into the death pond. She starts swimming at an Olympic speed. Every stroke gives her a searing pain though… which, she supposed is what it should feel like. Regina tries her damndest to swim to Emma as well, but she can't move from the spot the pond floats her around in.

Emma looks older and older… so very old… She's stretching to Regina and Regina is trying to stretch back… and that's when it hits her: Her last painting. She should have known it would come down to this. She pushes it aside and continues to try to reach for her love.

Emma feels that she might just die like they told her she would, but she squeezes her eyes shut and kicks and strokes once more as Regina does the same. The tips of their fingers grip, and everything becomes overwhelmingly easy. She is immediately 32 again and her wife is by her side.

Out of the water, Rumple and Maleficent are both slack-jawed in shock. They don't even feel Pinocchio's strings until they are secured around their wrists, "Oh don't worry…" He says in Maleficent's ear, "Just because you don't have a hand doesn't mean that the strings will come loose… The blue fairy made sure of that." Maleficent and Rumple glowered and tried to move around to at least hit him, but he didn't lie… the strings didn't come loose. They turn their attention back to the water as Emma surfaces.

Emma smiles and keeps Regina in her arms, which is actually quite easy because this Regina is like air though she looks the same as she does in their bed upstairs… minus the stab wound. She sets her on the dock and hops out of the water.

She ignores the two stunned evildoers and walks all the way back to the castle. Nothing could touch her even if they wanted to…literally, this weird kind of Demigod like glow is surrounding her and her love. It is as if this world is saying, 'Guess who just survived death pond because of true love! These two!' Really it was a big 'Fuck you!' to evil everywhere.

Rumple and Maleficent are pushed into following her. Everyone is slowly trailing behind Emma and Regina for half of the way home… that is until Henry can't take it anymore and runs up to walk with his mothers. Emma is stoic. She is in no mood for anything. She doesn't notice her son, but Regina sees him as she holds onto Emma's neck, "Hi Henry." She tries to say, but nothing comes out… then she remembers she's still dead, is just a soul at the moment and has no vocal cords. So, she just smiles at him and mouths that she loves him.

"I love you too." He mouths back.

Emma, as if on a mission, which she is, walks back into the room Regina is in. She finds Snow and in her arms presumably Chandler. She stares at the baby in her mother's arms and blinks a couple times before looking up at her mother's face. She looks over to her father who only gives her a teary smile himself before Henry walks over to stand in front of him and next to his grandmother and sister.

James nods over to the bed, "Go on." He says, his voice raw, "Put her back with her body."

Emma turns to the doorway and looks at everyone that has followed her in and they all turn right back around and leave the room. She takes a deep breath and lays Regina's soul form over Regina's body.

Nothing happens.

She starts breathing angrily, tears flooding her eyes, "No, no, no, no, NO! Come on Regina! Open your eyes!" She cups Regina's cheek and traces it. "Come on! This is not the end! It's not!" She falls forward onto her lover and presses their foreheads together, "Baby, I love you. You can't leave me." She starts crying erratically thinking this was the end… she had come this whole way for nothing… She knew she should have just given up and died in that pond as well.

"True love's kiss." The three remaining parties old enough to speak all say.

Emma looks back at them and at Regina once more. She leans in and kisses Regina despite knowing that she's already tried it too many times to count. She feels lips press back and like the woman just had a nightmare, Regina sits up straight and looks around wide-eyed. She looks down at her chest and sees, as well as feels the wound repairing itself. She looks to Emma and Emma swiftly tackles Regina back into the bed, kissing her all over.

Regina makes a loud groan, "Oh Darling, I just had a baby and died and came back… Give me some recovery time, please!" She grins despite her pain.

Emma shakes her head, "No, sorry." She continues kissing her.

They both hear the beginnings of a whimper from Chandler and pause.

Regina beckons Snow, "Please?" She asks the black haired woman for her daughter back.

Snow, teary eyed nods and with a sniffle gives Regina her daughter. Emma scrambles behind Regina as this happens. They now can both marvel at their baby.

A few moments go by and they hear a scream from Belle and a lot of talking from everyone else. James goes out to see what has happened. He comes back in with puppets of Rumple and Maleficent. "It seems that when true love's kiss conquered all… it really conquered everything that had ever threatened the lovers…"

Emma and Regina look at each other then to Chandler then to Henry who is staring intently on the puppets, "You mean that's Rumpel and Maleficent?" Emma asks.

"Yes."

"Wow… Why puppets?"

"Pinocchio's strings!" Henry says with realization.

"His strings?" Emma asks.

"Yes… they take away all magic when they are tied around someone or something magical… so when true love's kiss happened, they were not able to use magic to protect themselves and the strings turned them into puppets!" He says with excitement as he walks over to them.

Regina and Emma look to each other before back to Henry, "You're really too smart sometimes kid…. But your brains got us your mom back, so I'll be forever grateful…" Emma grins as he comes and sits on the bed and hugs them both.

"What shall we do with them your majesties?" Sidney's voice comes into the room.

They both look and find that he is completely silver, but no longer trapped inside a mirror... he's just… a mirror in human form. They both raise their brows, "Umm.. just get them out of our sight for now, Sidney, thank you." Regina says not able to turn away from the silver man. When she does she sees that Chandler's eyes are wide with awe at all the shiny. "I think Sidney has a secret admirer." She says.

This causes Sidney to turn around and see Chandler's unblinking stare he walks tentatively over to her and puts his index finger in her palm. She then starts blinking and waving her arms around cooing at him. He smiles and walks out to get rid of the puppets.

Henry laughs, "Did you see her face? She didn't know what to think." Snow and James walk over to Emma, "We will give you some family time." Snow says as she touches Emma's shoulder and walks out. Emma turns and finds Regina's eyes already closing. She still has a secure hold on Chandler. Emma lays back so Regina can as well. Henry settles in next to them, his head resting on Regina's shoulder.

"See… I told you we'd get our happy ending… I can believe you ever doubted me…" Emma says.

"Yes, well… the knife to my heart and the floating in that pond gave me pause, dear." Regina retorts.

"You guys are a lot like Grandma and Grandpa…." He observes.

"We are not." Regina stares at her son.

"Yes you are." Henry knits his brows, "You are both informed on your wedding dates that something horrible is going to happen. You both.." He makes a face, "Conceived a child on that night. The something horrible comes nine months later, as the baby is being born. You have to put the baby somewhere else in order to save her. And that conversation you two just had… Yeah that's in the book… I can show you, the wording is only slightly different."

Regina is rubbing Chandler's back soothingly as she listens to her son's words, "And that's how you think we're alike?" She asks like she needs more.

"Mom!"

"Henry!" She looks at him, "I've said this once and I'll say it again, I've just had a baby and died and come back. Give me some down time and I'll be happy to bicker further." She grins at her son.

Henry leans over to her, "I can't wait." He kisses her cheek and gets up, "I'm going to go out and hang out with everyone… let you guys rest." He looks pointedly at his brunette mother, who snorts with laughter.

"Thank you Henry." Regina grins as he leaves then looks down at Chandler then up to her lover, "I love you."

"I love you too." Emma grins down and kisses her, "So… When do we start this happily ever after thing? I think I'm ready for some bliss."

Regina grins again and leans up again; after three more kisses the three girls on the bed are relaxed and snoozing, two of them knowing that their happily ever after has finally started.

**AN: Yes, this idea came from Hercules.. but once it played out in my head, I couldn't resist! It was so perfect to me! OH! And I am really sorry for all the Rumpbelle fans out there… I am too, but it just didn't work out in this story… **

**I hope you enjoyed, please Read and Review!**


	20. Epilogue

**AN: This is a very short, very fluffy birthday of an epilogue… So… there it is…**

The day has been an exhausting day. Chandler turned five. Everyone was there. Grandma and Grandpa, Red, Granny, Pinocchio, Geppetto, Mallory, Genie, Belle, Dr. Whale, Frederick, Kathryn, Ella, Thomas, the fairies, even Jiminy stopped by.

There were craft tables set up all over the lawn, there was a bouncy castle, and even kiddy carnival rides, so to say the least… she had a birthday party fit for a princess as per Emma's insistence… of course now she is regretting it.

"Why the fuck did we have sooooooo much shit at that party? I don't even think she did half of it! I know she didn't even get to hit her piñata let alone break it… And I didn't see any paint on her either when I gave her, her bath…" She lifts her arm from her eyes and gives a pointed look to her wife, "You, however…" She starts.

Regina stops rubbing lotion into her arm and gives Emma the same pointed look, "ME? You were the one that was in the bouncy castle the whole damn time… or at the ski ball machines, or on the kiddy carnival rides!"

"Hey! I was with Chandler most of the time." Emma sits up completely to look at her wife.

Regina raises a brow and turns back to applying her lotion, "Of course you were dear."

"I was."

"Am I disputing?"

"Yes… in that way that you do…" Emma stands up and walks over to their dresser, getting into her sock drawer, "I think what I like best about this place is that we can dress like we did in Storybrooke and like we're supposed to here; that it doesn't really matter… I also like that you decided to give this world television and Internet from that one… and stores of every kind… oh, and, and, and… the best part about this world?"

"Tell me what the best part about this world is, dear." Regina looks at her from the mirror in her vanity obviously expecting something trivial.

Emma bites her lip as she walks over to her, "I still have you." She says like it's obvious. She puts a card and a present on the table top in front of her wide, "Happy second-birthday, Baby." She kisses her cheek.

Regina smiles and looks down at the envelope and present in front of her. She opens the envelope and snorts out at it in a small laugh. There is a picture of a baby giraffe on it smiling. She opens it and sees that Emma has written her a very personal letter, taking up both halves of the inside. Tears come to her eyes as she reads the last line. She looks up, "I love you too, darling." She stands up and walks back over to Emma, who's back on the bed. She leans down and kisses her.

"Hey.. aren't you going to open your present? It's from all three of us!" She says.

"Oh… yes… I suppose I should." She gets back off the bed and opens the present. It's a picture of Emma, Chandler and Henry, "When did you take this?" She asks.

"This afternoon… today was the first time Henry was home from college since he left!" Emma side-comments as she answers her wife, "You like it?" She asks.

"Of course, my love… it's my family…" Regina sets the picture on her bedside table… then she pushes it face down.

Emma knits her brows, "Why'd you do—OH!" Regina is straddling her wife.

"I want to say thank you, but I don't want their poor eyes to see us like that… even if in picture." She grins as she leans down and melts against her blonde lover.

"That sounds like a good idea…" Emma nods. She turns them over and starts in on her wife's neck.

Regina zones out for a moment, then starts speaking, "I can't believe how much she looks like you." She says as she turns and picks the picture up once more.

Emma continues her attack, but answers, "Are you kidding? She's got your eyes and your hair!"

"But she's got your face." Regina states.

Emma stops, rolls her eyes, then props herself up, "Are we seriously talking about our daughter right now? Baby, I'm trying to get in the mood here… it's birthday sex time… this special sex comes but three times a year for us… two for regular couples that haven't had a partner die then come back to life… You need to start relishing!"

Regina smirks, "You're right, I apologize… She's just gotten so big so fast!"

Emma let's her head fall on her wife's chest, and lets out a sigh of frustration, "Lord, here we go."

"I mean… It seem like just yesterday we were moving her to baby food… and she's five already!"

"You're five already too." Emma tries again to get her wife to refocus to no avail.

"I am a lot older than five…" Regina looks off to the side.

Emma grins, "That's good because we've been married for almost six years… that would be very odd if you were only five…"

Regina smirks and takes Emma's face, "Do you think that we could handle another one?"

"Another one what?"

"Another baby?"

"I think that you want another one, so that's probably what's going to happen…" Emma replies slowly.

"Do you not want another?"

"Baby…. I want whatever you want… If you want more, I want more…"

"Well… It's not a matter of want… it's a matter of time…"

Emma stares at Regina for a full minute before she speaks, "I'm sorry, what?"

"Congratulations… you're gonna be a Momma again." Regina says with a wide, but cautious smile.

"We're gonna have another baby?" Emma asks.

"Yes." Regina nods.

Emma grins and kisses her, "Is it alright if I make love to you now?"

"Absolutely." Regina nods again.

"Mm, I love you."

"I love you too."

**AN: I hope you all enjoyed. I know that I had tons of fun writing it… as always, please Read and Review for the last time for this story!**


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